“I’m glad you picked up on my telepathy” sings Gregory Abbott on his “Shake You Down.” If you’re looking for a mellow compilation music CD, you’d be hard pressed to find a more satisfying one than 1991’s After the Love.

Dave Mason recently died, but his “We Just Disagree” continues to be played regularly on our local Oldies radio station. Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard’s “Can’t We Try” doesn’t get enough airplay. Dave Loggins’ “Please Come to Boston” still strikes a chord. And who can resist “After the Love Has Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire?

Yes, this music CD is only 39 minutes long, but it’s a satisfying half hour of Easy Listening songs. Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+

David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer’s The Space Opera Renaissance, a 941 page mammoth volume from 2006, is divided into six sections.  I’ve already reviewed Section 1 (you can read my review here) and you can read my review of Section 2 here and Section 3 here and Section 4 here.

My favorite story in Section 5 is Michael Moorcock’s “Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel.” Moorcock wrote this story as a homage to Leigh Brackett, but as you’ll see in the next quote, he honors a lot of other Space Opera writers, too:

“They said only four men in the solar system could ever handle that weapon. One was the legendary Northwest Smith, the second was Eric John Stark, now far off-system. The third was Dumarest of Terra, and the fourth was Captain John MacShard. Anyone else trying to fire a Bunning died unpleasantly.” (p. 803)

I’m a fan of Robert Reed and his million year old giant starship. Gregory Benford shows off his Space Opera chops in “A Women in the Well.” I’m not sure Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Shoes’ Story” is true Space Opera…but that’s what Hartwell and Cramer decided.

As you read the late 1990s selections, you’ll see the stories diverging more and more. GRADE: B+

V. MIXED SIGNALS/MIXED CATAGORIES (TO THE LATE 1990s)

 589 • A Worm in the Well • (1995) • novelette by Gregory Benford
* 607 • The Survivor • [Man-Kzin Wars] • (1991) • novella by Donald Kingsbury
* 715 • Fool’s Errand • (1993) • shortstory by Sarah Zettel
* 727 • The Shobies’ Story • [Hainish] • (1990) • novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin
* 745 • The Remoras • [Marrow] • (1994) • novelette by Robert Reed
* 768 • Recording Angel • (1995) • novelette by Paul J. McAuley
* 788 • The Great Game • (2003) • shortstory by Stephen Baxter
* 802 • Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel • (2002) • novelette by Michael Moorcock
* 823 • Space Opera • (1997) • shortstory by Michael Kandel

Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” series (2018-2023) seems to have morphed into a franchise of occasional stand-alone movies like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Ghost War. John Krasinski, joins the role previously played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck. 

Krasinski plays Jack Ryan as a reluctant former CIA analyst who gets sucked into doing a “favor” for his old friend and boss, James Greer (Wendell Pierce, who is also a Police Captain on Elsbeth) who is now CIA Deputed Director, and by his former colleague, Mike November (Michael Kelly), a security contractor who was once a CIA station chief.

What seems like a simple “drop” with Jack Ryan making contact with a former MI6 agent named Nigel Cooke (Douglas Hodge) in Dubai one night turns into a disaster when Ryan receives a super-important package that’s supposed to end up on Greer’s desk but poor Nigel gets a sniper’s bullet.

Ryan and November are taken into custody by MI-6 agent Emma Marlow (Sienna Miller), a tough but attractive love interest for Ryan. Marlow and Ryan figure out their adversary is former MI6 agent named Liam Crown (actor and jazz musician Max Beesley) who wants to continue the Ghost Wars that were politically terminated a couple decades ago.

Crown and Greer have an association from those post 9/11 years when they created a super-secret Black Ops unit called Project Starling to hunt down and kill terrorists.

I liked the fiery conclusion when Ryan, Marlow, and November take on Crown’s forces in a blazing shoot-out. Mildly entertaining. GRADE: B-

“In 2017, I moved from Boston to become the inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine in Orono. The Harold Alfond Foundation had endowed the position, naming it in honor of the English department’s most famous alum. I as hired for my expertise as a Shakespeare scholar, but I was thrilled to be associated with one of my favorite writers–even if I wasn’t going to be meeting him.” (p. 3)

“The Kings agreed to let me spend my sabbatical expiring their personal archives. Thanks to their generosity and trust, I was the first person outside their family and Foundation to be granted this kind of extended access to these newly collected materials.” (p. 15)

“King ended up paying Kubrick $1.5 million for the screen rights so that he could write his own adaptation [of The Shining] which came out as a TV miniseries in 1997. According to the director, Mick Garris, King also had to sign away the right to publicize his negative opinions of Kubrick’s film for a period of time.” (p. 67)

“…New American Library had purchased the paperback rights [for Carrie] for $400,000. The hardcover came out in April 1974, followed by the NAL/Signet edition a year later, which sold over a million copies. When De Palma’s film came out, that under jumped to four million, and King became a household name. As he [King] says, ‘the movie made he book and the book made me.'” (p. 205)

If you are a Stephen King fan, you’ll love Monsters in the Archives (2026). Caroline Bicks shares her research into the early Stephen King books by providing examples of King’s early drafts. For example, Bicks points out that Carrie is one of the most banned books in the United States. The violence and Carrie’s mother’s religious beliefs trigger groups to have Carrie removed from libraries. Carrie almost didn’t happen. King, frustrated by his problems with Carrie tossed the manuscript into the trash can. King’s wife, Tabitha, rescued it and assured her husband that she would help him with writing about a teen-age girl. The rest is history!

Bicks’s analysis of Night Shift‘s 20 stories reveals plenty of development in King’s writing style. ‘Salem’s Lot was initially titled Jerusalem’s Lot but since the editor’s thought that Jerusalem’s Lot sounded too religious, the title got changed to ‘Salem’s Lot.

There’s a wealth of information about the early Stephen King books in Monsters in the Archives. Are you a Stephen King fam? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ILLUSTRATIONS — ix

INTRODUCTION: No Place Like Home — 3

Chapter One: Pet Seminary — 19

Chapter Two: The Shining — 61

Chapter Three: Night Shift — 104

Chapter Five: Carrie — 201

EPILOGUE: Home Again — 247

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS — 253

NOTES — 259

Christopher Hitchens died from complications related to oesophageal cancer in December 2011, at the age of 62. He was a complicated man who shifted his political positions Left to Right and back again. What drew me to Hitchens was his brilliant writing–even though I disagreed with some of it. Hitchens wrote snarky reviews and did not suffer fools gladly.

A Hitch in Time collects random book reviews, letter battles with his adversaries, and essays not in other Hitchens books. Some of these pieces are dated, but some are still as sparkling after decades. I enjoyed reading about Tom Wolfe, P. G. Wodehouse, Salman Rushdie, Spanking, Bill Clinton, and Gore Vidal.

My favorite essay in A Hitch in Time is “Moderation or Death: On Isaiah Berlin.” Isaiah Berlin advised Governments and International Corporations for decades. He was a controversial figure because he was independent and pragmatic.

If you haven’t read any of Christopher Hitchens books, check the links below the Table of Contents for my reviews of his work. You might not agree with Hitchens, but you’ll marvel at his incisive writing style. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Foreword by James Wolcott — vii
2. The Wrong Stuff: On Tom Wolfe, 1983 — 1
3. Diary: Operation Desert Storm, 1991 — 11
4. Oh, Lionel! On P. G. Wodehouse, 1992 — 21
5. Mary, Mary: On J. Edgar Hoover, 1993 — 29
6. Say What You Will About Harold: On Harold Wilson, 1993 — 41
7. Diary: The Salman Rushdie Acid Test, 1994 — 55
8. Diary: Spanking, 1994 — 65
9. Who Runs Britain? Police Espionage, 1994 — 77
10. Lucky Kim: On Kim Philby, 1995 — 91
11. Diary: At the Oscars, 1995 — 105
12. Look Over Your Shoulder: The Oklahoma Bombing, 1995 — 115
13. Letters: Richard Cummings, Christopher Hitchens — 125
14. After-Time: On Gore Vidal, 1995 — 131
15. A Hard Dog to Keep on the Porch: On Bill Clinton, 1996 — 145
16. The Trouble with HRH: On Princess Margaret, 1997 — 169
17. Brief Shining Moments: Kennedy and Nixon, 1998 — 179
18. Letters: Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Christopher Hitchens, Mervyn Jones — 197
19. Acts of Violence in Grosvenor Square: On 1968, 1998 — 205
20. Diary: The “Almanach de Gotha,” 1998 — 219
21. Moderation or Death: On Isaiah Berlin, 1998 — 227
22. Letters: Roger Scruton, Francis Wheen, Mark Lilly, Christopher Hitchens — 273
23. What a Lot of Parties: On Diana Mosley, 1999 — 279
24. 11 September 1973: Pinochet and Britain, 2002 — 289
25. INDEX — 303

Bill Crider would have loved Spider-Noir since he was the biggest Nicolas Cage fan I’d ever met. AMAZON PRIME Video dropped all eight episodes of Season One so you can binge to your heart’s delight. And, you can choose to watch the episodes in Black & White or Color!

Nicolas Cage plays struggling private eye Ben Reilly in 1930s New York City. He has Spider-Man super powers, but is reluctant to use them. A gangster named Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson) has his mansion burned down by another guy with super powers, in this case fire, and Silvermane wants him dead.

I’ve only watched two of the eight episodes, but I like Lamorne Morris as Joe “Robbie” Robertson, Reilly’s friend who is a free-lance reporter and Karen Rodriguez as Janet Ruiz, Reilly’s feisty secretary. And, in classic fashion, there’s Li Jun Li as Felicia “Cat” Hardy–a real femme fatale nightclub singer.

I can’t wait to watch more episodes this weekend! GRADE: Incomplete but trending towards an A.

SEASON ONE EPISODES:

Episode 1: “Step Into My Office” (~44-45 mins)
Episode 2: “Tread Lightly” (~40-45 mins)
Episode 3: “Double Cross” (~45 mins)
Episode 4: “A Mistake I’ll Never Make Again” (~45-47 mins)
Episode 5: “Betrayal” (~47-50 mins)
Episode 6: “Nightmare on a Gurney” (~40-50 mins)
Episode 7: “Nobody’s Hero” (~40-45 mins)
Episode 8: “The Man in the Mask” (~46-50 mins) 

This book has been on my shelves for years. Finally, I sat down and read it. Be warned: reading this book may cost you money!

David Pringle casts a wide net in his choices of 100 “Best Novels” of Fantasy. I confess: some of these titles I’d never heard of. But, many I have in my book collection and many I’ve read. Each review of the 100 novels is about 2 pages long. Plus, Pringle includes some bonus book reviews, too!

I wish Pringle had written a sequel to MODERN FANTASY: THE HUNDRED BEST NOVELS (1946-1987). Fantasy novels were Best Sellers in the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st Century. Sadly, publishers seem uninterested in this type of guide book today.

How many of these books have you read? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1 • Foreword (Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels) • (1988) • essay by Brian W. Aldiss [as by Brian Aldiss]

13 • Introduction (Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels) • (1988) • essay by David Pringle

27 •   Review: Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake • (1988) • review by David Pringle

29 •   Review: The Book of Ptath by A. E. van Vogt • (1988) • review by David Pringle

31 •   Review: The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt • (1988) • review by David Pringle

34 •   Review: Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

36 •   Review: Seven Days in New Crete by Robert Graves • (1988) • review by David Pringle

38 •   Review: Silverlock by John Myers Myers • (1988) • review by David Pringle

40 •   Review: The Castle of Iron by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt • (1988) • review by David Pringle

42 •   Review: Conan the Conqueror by Robert E. Howard • (1988) • review by David Pringle

44 •   Review: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis • (1988) • review by David Pringle

46 •   Review: Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake • (1988) • review by David Pringle

49 •   Review: The Dying Earth by Jack Vance • (1988) • review by David Pringle

52 •   Review: The Sound of His Horn by Sarban • (1988) • review by David Pringle

54 •   Review: Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber • (1988) • review by David Pringle

56 •   Review: The Sinful Ones by Fritz Leiber • (1988) • review by David Pringle

58 •   Review: The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

60 •   Review: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien • (1988) • review by David Pringle

62 •   Review: Pincher Martin by William Golding • (1988) • review by David Pringle

64 •   Review: The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

66 •   Review: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury • (1988) • review by David Pringle

68 •   Review: The Once and Future King by T. H. White • (1988) • review by David Pringle

71 •   Review: The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert A. Heinlein • (1988) • review by David Pringle

73 •   Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

76 •   Review: Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake • (1988) • review by David Pringle

78 •   Review: A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle • (1988) • review by David Pringle

80 •   Review: Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

82 •   Review: The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything by John D. MacDonald • (1988) • review by David Pringle

84 •   Review: Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein • (1988) • review by David Pringle

87 •   Review: Witch World by Andre Norton • (1988) • review by David Pringle

89 •   Review: The Magus by John Fowles • (1988) • review by David Pringle

91 •   Review: Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock • (1988) • review by David Pringle

93 •   Review: The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon • (1988) • review by David Pringle

96 •   Review: Day of the Minotaur by Thomas Burnett Swann • (1988) • review by David Pringle

98 •   Review: The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance • (1988) • review by David Pringle

100 •   Review: The Owl Service by Alan Garner • (1988) • review by David Pringle

103 •   Review: Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin • (1988) • review by David Pringle

106 •   Review: The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien • (1988) • review by David Pringle

108 •   Review: Gog by Andrew Sinclair • (1988) • review by David Pringle

111 •   Review: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle • (1988) • review by David Pringle

114 •   Review: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin • (1988) • review by David Pringle

117 •   Review: The Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber • (1988) • review by David Pringle

120 •   Review: Black Easter by James Blish • (1988) • review by David Pringle

122 •   Review: The Green Man by Kingsley Amis • (1988) • review by David Pringle

125 •   Review: The Phoenix and the Mirror by Avram Davidson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

128 •   Review: A Feast Unknown by Philip José Farmer^? • (1988) • review by David Pringle

131 •   Review: Fourth Mansions by R. A. Lafferty • (1988) • review by David Pringle

134 •   Review: Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant • (1988) • review by David Pringle

136 •   Review: Time and Again by Jack Finney • (1988) • review by David Pringle

139 •   Review: Grendel by John Gardner • (1988) • review by David Pringle

141 •   Review: Briefing for a Descent into Hell by Doris Lessing • (1988) • review by David Pringle

144 •   Review: Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny • (1988) • review by David Pringle

146 •   Review: Watership Down by Richard Adams • (1988) • review by David Pringle

148 •   Review: The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter • (1988) • review by David Pringle

151 •   Review: Sweet Dreams by Michael Frayn • (1988) • review by David Pringle

153 •   Review: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip • (1988) • review by David Pringle

156 •   Review: ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King • (1988) • review by David Pringle

159 •   Review: The Great Victorian Collection by Brian Moore • (1988) • review by David Pringle

162 •   Review: Grimus by Salman Rushdie • (1988) • review by David Pringle

165 •   Review: Peace by Gene Wolfe • (1988) • review by David Pringle

167 •   Review: The Malacia Tapestry by Brian Aldiss • (1988) • review by David Pringle

170 •   Review: The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

173 •   Review: Hotel de Dream by Emma Tennant • (1988) • review by David Pringle

176 •   Review: The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter • (1988) • review by David Pringle

179 •   Review: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson • (1988) • review by David Pringle

181 •   Review: The Shining by Stephen King • (1988) • review by David Pringle

184 •   Review: Fata Morgana by William Kotzwinkle • (1988) • review by David Pringle

186 •   Review: Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber • (1988) • review by David Pringle

188 •   Review: Gloriana, or, The Unfulfill’d Queen by Michael Moorcock • (1988) • review by David Pringle

191 •   Review: The Unlimited Dream Company by J. G. Ballard • (1988) • review by David Pringle

193 •   Review: Sorcerer’s Son by Phyllis Eisenstein • (1988) • review by David Pringle

196 •   Review: The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll • (1988) • review by David Pringle

198 •   Review: The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas • (1988) • review by David Pringle

201 •   Review: A Storm of Wings by M. John Harrison • (1988) • review by David Pringle

204 •   Review: White Light by Rudy Rucker • (1988) • review by David Pringle

206 •   Review: Ariosto by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro • (1988) • review by David Pringle

208 •   Review: Cities of the Red Night by William S. Burroughs • (1988) • review by David Pringle

211 •   Review: Little, Big by John Crowley • (1988) • review by David Pringle

214 •   Review: Lanark: A Life in Four Books by Alasdair Gray • (1988) • review by David Pringle

216 •   Review: The War Hound and the World’s Pain by Michael Moorcock • (1988) • review by David Pringle

218 •   Review: Nifft the Lean by Michael Shea • (1988) • review by David Pringle

220 •   Review: Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin • (1988) • review by David Pringle

222 •   Review: Soul Eater by K. W. Jeter • (1988) • review by David Pringle

224 •   Review: Tea with the Black Dragon by R. A. MacAvoy • (1988) • review by David Pringle

226 •   Review: Cold Heaven by Brian Moore • (1988) • review by David Pringle

228 •   Review: The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers • (1988) • review by David Pringle

231 •   Review: Who Made Stevie Crye? by Michael Bishop • (1988) • review by David Pringle

233 •   Review: The Digging Leviathan by James P. Blaylock • (1988) • review by David Pringle

235 •   Review: Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter • (1988) • review by David Pringle

238 •   Review: The Businessman: A Tale of Terror by Thomas M. Disch • (1988) • review by David Pringle

240 •   Review: Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock • (1988) • review by David Pringle

242 •   Review: The Glamour by Christopher Priest • (1988) • review by David Pringle

244 •   Review: The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike • (1988) • review by David Pringle

247 •   Review: Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd • (1988) • review by David Pringle

250 •   Review: The Dream Years by Lisa Goldstein • (1988) • review by David Pringle

252 • Guy Gavriel Kay: The Fionavar Tapestry • (1988) • essay by David Pringle

252 •   Review: The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay • (1988) • review by David Pringle

252 •   Review: The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay • (1988) • review by David Pringle

253 •   Review: The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay • (1988) • review by David Pringle

255 •   Review: The Bridge by Iain Banks • (1988) • review by David Pringle

258 •   Review: The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell • (1988) • review by David Pringle

260 •   Review: Replay by Ken Grimwood • (1988) • review by David Pringle

263 •   Review: The Unconquered Country by Geoff Ryman • (1988) • review by David Pringle

265 •   Review: The Day of Creation by J. G. Ballard • (1988) • review by David Pringle

267 •   Review: Ægypt  by John Crowley • (1988) • review by David Pringle

ALTERNATE TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Titus Groan* by Mervyn Peake
2. The Book of Ptath by A.E. van Vogt
3. The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt
4. Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson
5. Seven Days in New Crete by Robert Graves
6. Silverlock* by John Myers Myers
7. The Castle of Iron by Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
8. Conan the Conqueror by Robert E. Howard
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* by C.S. Lewis
10. Gormenghast* by Mervyn Peake
11. The Dying Earth* by Jack Vance
12. The Sound of His Horn by Sarban
13. Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber
14. The Sinful Ones by Fritz Leiber
15. The Broken Sword* by Poul Anderson
16. The Lord of the Rings* by J.R.R. Tolkien
17. Pincher Martin by William Golding
18. The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson
19. Dandelion Wine* by Ray Bradbury
20. The Once and Future King* by T.H. White
21. The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert A. Heinlein
22. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
23. Titus Alone* by Mervyn Peake
24. A Fine and Private Place by* Peter S. Beagle
25. Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson
26. The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything by John D. MacDonald
27. Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein
28. Witch World by Andre Norton
29. The Magus by John Fowles
30. Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock
31. The Crying of Lot 49* by Thomas Pynchon
32. Day of the Minotaur by Thomas Burnett Swann
33. The Eyes of the Overworld* by Jack Vance
34. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
35. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
36. The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien
37. Gog by Andrew Sinclair
38. The Last Unicorn* by Peter S. Beagle
39. A Wizard of Earthsea* by Ursula K. Le Guin
40. The Swords of Lankhmar* by Fritz Leiber
41. Black Easter by James Blish
42. The Green Man by Kingsley Amis
43. The Phoenix and the Mirror by Avram Davidson
44. A Feast Unknown by Philip José Farmer
45. Fourth Mansions by R.A. Lafferty
46. Red Moon and Black Mountain by Joy Chant
47. Time and Again* by Jack Finney
48. Grendel by John Gardner
49. Briefing for a Descent into Hell by Doris Lessing
50. Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
51. Watership Down* by Richard Adams
52. The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter
53. Sweet Dreams by Michael Frayn
54. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
55. Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
56. The Great Victorian Collection by Brian Moore
57. Grimus by Salman Rushdie
58. Peace* by Gene Wolfe
59. The Malacia Tapestry by Brian Aldiss
60. The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson
61. Hotel de Dream by Emma Tennant
62. The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter
63. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever* by Stephen R. Donaldson
64. The Shining by Stephen King
65. Fata Morgana by William Kotzwinkle
66. Our Lady of Darkness by Fritz Leiber
67. Gloriana, or, The Unfulfill’d Queen by Michael Moorcock
68. The Unlimited Dream Company by J.G. Ballard
69. Sorcerer’s Son by Phyllis Eisenstein
70. The Land of Laughs* by Jonathan Carroll
71. The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas
72. A Storm of Wings by John Harrison
73. White Light by Rudy Rucker
74. Ariosto by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
75. Cities of the Red Night by William S. Burroughs
76. Little, Big by John Crowley
77. Lanark: A Life in Four Books by Alasdair Gray
78. The War Hound and the World’s Pain by Michael Moorcock
79. Nifft the Lean* by Michael Shea
80. Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin
81. Soul Eater by K.W. Jeter
82. Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A MacAvoy
83. Cold Heaven by Brian Moore
84. The Anubis Gates* by Tim Powers
85. Who Made Stevie Crye? by Michael Bishop
86. The Digging Leviathan by James P. Blaylock
87. Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter
88. The Businessman: A Tale of Terror by Thomas M. Disch
89. Mythago Wood* by Robert Holdstock
90. The Glamour by Christopher Priest
91. The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike
92. Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
93. The Dream Years by Lisa Goldstein
94. The Summer Tree* by Guy Gavriel Kay
95. The Bridge* by Iain Banks
96. The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
97. Replay* by Ken Grimwood
98. The Unconquered Country by Geoff Ryman
99. The Day of Creation by J.G. Ballard
100. Ægypt by John Crowley

Sexy ’80s presents a mix of songs, some familiar and some long forgotten like The Vapors “Turning Japanese.” It was good to hear the Thompson Twins hit “Hold Me Now” and the Greg Kihn Band’s classic “Jeopardy.”

It’s been a while since I’ve head “She’s A Beauty” by The Tubes and Matthew Wilder’s “Break My Stride” which seem to have disappeared from Oldies Radio here.

Do you remember these songs from the 1980s? Any favorites here? GRADE: B-

TRACK LIST:

1	The Vapors–	Turning Japanese Written-By – David Fenton	3:44
2	Bow Wow Wow–	I Want Candy Written-By – Berns*, Feldman*, Goldstein*, Gottehrer*	2:45
3	Thompson Twins–	Hold Me Now Written-By – Alannah Currie, Joe Leeway, Tom Bailey	4:46
4	Matthew Wilder–	Break My Stride Written-By – G. Prestopino*, M. Wilder*	3:01
5	Greg Kihn Band–	Jeopardy Written-By – Greg Kihn	3:48
6	The Tubes–	She’s A Beauty Written-By – Foster*, Waybil*, Lukather*	3:30
7	Eurythmics–	Here Comes The Rain Again Written-By – Lennox*, Stewart*	4:52
8	Hall & Oates*–	Family Man Written-By – Reilly*, Frye*, Oldfield*, Pert*, Fenn*, Cross*	3:25
9	Mr. Mister–	Kyrie Written-By – Lang*, Page*, George*	4:32
10	The Blow Monkeys–	Digging Your Scene Written-By – Dr. Robert	4:06
11	Stray Cats–	(She’s) Sexy + 17 Written-By – Setzer*	3:29
12	Love And Rockets–	So Alive Written-By – Daniel Ash, Love & Rockets*	4:15

I read a few of these short stories before I bought No Middle Name (2026) but it’s nice to have all the Jack Reacher stories in one volume.

Most of the stories are mini-Reacher adventures, with the former military policeman wandering around the country and having Trouble find him.

My favorite story in No Middle Name is “Deep Down” where Reacher is still in the service and is brought to the U.S. from Frankfurt, Germany to help investigate a potential leak.

A panel is considering buying a new sniper rifle. Four women, all military officers, are involved in the hearings. One of the women seems to be leaking information to a foreign manufacturer of sniper rifles. But…which of the four is the leaker?

Reacher uses his usual unorthodox methods to get to the heart of the issue. “Deep Down” is both clever and intense. The rest of the stories in No Middle Name vary in length and quality but all are worth reading. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENT:

Much Time 3

Second Son 61

High Heat 109

Deep Down 181

Small Wars 231

James Penney’s New Identity 275

Everyone Talks 315

Not a Drill 335

Maybe They Have a Tradition 377

Guy Walks into a Bar 391

No Room at the Motel 399

The Picture of the Lonely Diner 405

I was an early fan of Orphan Black even though the series took a downward plunge towards the end. The same with She-Hulk which also plunged to cancelation. It wasn’t Tatiana Maslany’s fault. Maybe her luck will change with Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, the new AppleTV+ 10 episode series that was just released.

Tatiana Maslany plays a recently divorced mom who seemingly witnesses a crime. She’s having a session with a sex-model on her computer when apparently, he’s kidnapped. Is it a scam? Is it real? Nine episodes from now, we’ll find out. GRADE: Incomplete but trending towards a B