Yesterday I reviewed Charles Stross’s Season of Skulls, written during the Pandemic where Stress decided to attempt Something Different and mixed a Regency Romance with a Lovecraftian Time Travel adventure. Today, I’m reviewing Martha Wells’s Witch King that blends magic and Epic Fantasy and feudal warfare into a compelling story. Martha Wells, best known for her Murderbot series (you can read my reviews, here, here, here, here, here, and here), where a SECURITY UNIT robot who hacks his governor module and goes rogue.  This is a Far Cry from Wells’s latest novel.

Witch King opens with a scary scene as the Witch King, Kai, finds himself “dead” and buried in a tower of water (water makes it hard for witches to work their magic) with his companion, Ziede, another type of witch. Together, they escape to find out how they “died” and who buried them.

I suspect the Pandemic led Martha Wells to forgo another episode in the Murderbot series and to tackle this long, complex, and exciting Fantasy novel, instead. If you’re in the mood for some action/adventure Fantasy in the George R. R. Martin and Robert Jordan style, you might want to give Witch King a try. GRADE: B+

Russell Letson of LOCUS magazine (May 2023) wrote that Charles Stross’s new novel, Season of Skulls, is “a mash-up of the Regency gothic and Lovecraftian horrors and intrigue-thriller variations of his Laundry world.” (p. 18) That about sums it up.

In his ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS at the end of the book, Stross delineates how Season of Skulls came to be written during the Pandemic. Stross writes that he was stalled…and then decided to mix Regency romance elements and time travel with the usual spooky aspects of the Laundry world: vampires, sorcerers, secret agents, sinister cultists, horrific alien creatures, and undead powers who want to rule Earth.

Whether you will enjoy reading Season of Skulls depends on your tolerance for England of 1816 with its pirates, highwaymen, evil scientists, and monsters. Magic is in the air, but the air of London “stank of coal smoke and sewage which nearly covered the even more noisome stench of decaying food waste.”

If you’re a fan of Charles Stross’s Laundry series, this oddity may both puzzle and delight you. I, for one, prefer the action take place in the 21st Century. GRADE: B

It’s hard to believe the first animated Miles Morales Spider-Man movie came out in 2018 (you can read my review here). Now Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse arrives with more new characters and threats to the multiverse. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse takes on larger challenges. The focus remains on 15-year-old Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), who is just learning how to use his Spider-Man powers, but Miles shares the stage with his love-interest: Ghost-Spider (Hailee Steinfeld). Both teenage super-heroes are struggling with their parents and the stress of a life fighting crime.

Scriptwriters Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Dave Callahan create worlds with incredible production design by Patrick O’Keefe that brings those words to life in wild, animated worlds full of bizarre Earths (like the universe where Mumbai and Manhattan are blended into “Mumhattan”).

(MILD SPOILER ALERT) The AMC Theater where Diane and I watched Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse broke into groans when after 2 hours and 20 minutes the dreaded words TO BE CONTINUED… appeared on the screen. We’ll have to wait until 2024 to find out what happens to Miles and Gwen and all the other Spider-people. GRADE: INCOMPLETE (but trending toward a B+)

It’s been over 20 years since Ellen Nehr called me up and asked if I would write an article for a project she was working on: Deadly Women: The Women Mystery Reader’s Indispensable Companion. I, of course, agreed and the wonderful volume was published in 1998. Just glance at the Table of Contents below and check out all the writers involved in providing information and recommendations for mysteries written by women or featuring women characters.

Just by serendipity, I discovered my copy of Deadly Women which had been mis-shelved for a couple of decades. I spent an hour rereading several of the essays Jan Grape, Dean James, and Ellen Nehr brought together for mystery readers. Bill Crider is here. So is Nancy Pickard, Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, and Ed Gorman.

Most of the best known women writers of the 1990s show up here in one form or another. The interviews reveal key facts about the writers. The checklists–although slightly dated–still are valuable.

Deadly Women is a browser’s delight! Many of these detailed articles will send you down mysterious rabbit-holes and generate Want-Lists. If you don’t own a copy of Deadly Women, copies are available for reasonable prices on-line. Do you have a favorite female mystery writer? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Show less

Eva Cassidy’s Live at Blues Alley was originally self-released in May 1996. The album was recorded live at the Blues Alley nightclub (Washington, D.C.) in January 1996. It was the last album recorded by Cassidy before her death in November 1996. Eva Cassidy died of melanoma at the age of 33. Eva Cassidy sang a mix songs, some traditional, some classic pop–like “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “People Get Ready,” and the song she’s most known for: “Fields of Gold.” I love her talent and sound. Eva Cassidy died too young.

TRACK LIST:

1. “Cheek to Cheek” (Irving Berlin) – 4:03
2. “Stormy Monday” (T-Bone Walker) – 5:49
3. “Bridge over Troubled Water” (Paul Simon) – 5:33
4. “Fine and Mellow” (Billie Holiday) – 4:03
5. “People Get Ready” (Curtis Mayfield) – 3:36
6. “Blue Skies” (Irving Berlin) – 2:37
7. “Tall Trees in Georgia” (Buffy St. Marie) – 4:05
8. “Fields of Gold” (Sting) – 4:57
9. “Autumn Leaves” (Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert) – 4:57
10. “Honeysuckle Rose” (Andy Razaf, Thomas “Fats” Waller) – 3:14
11. “Take Me to the River” (Al Green, Mabon “Teenie” Hodges) – 3:51
12. “What a Wonderful World” (Bob Thiele, George David Weiss) – 5:50
13. “Oh, Had I a Golden Thread” (Pete Seeger) – 4:46 [Studio recording]

Gregg Allman, like his brother Duane, also died too young. But this concert at the Beacon Theatre (New York City) from March 2000 bursts with energy with the Allman Brothers Band delivering their mix of rock, jazz, country, and rhythm & blues.

Peakin’ at the Beacon was the first Allman Brothers Band album to include Derek Trucks on guitar and Oteil Burbridge on bass, and the last to include founding member Dickey Betts.

The instrumental “High Falls” was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to “Dirty Mind” by Jeff Beck.

This version of the Idlewild South track “Please Call Home” was featured on their greatest hits album The Essential Allman Brothers Band: The Epic Years. GRADE: A (for both live CDs)

TRACK LIST:

All songs written by Gregg Allman, except where noted.

1. “Don’t Want You No More” (Spencer Davis, Edward Hardin) – 3:06
2. “It’s Not My Cross to Bear” – 5:12
3. “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” – 5:46
4. “Every Hungry Woman” – 5:56
5. “Please Call Home” – 4:30
6. “Stand Back” (Gregg Allman, Berry Oakley) – 5:44
7. “Black Hearted Woman” – 6:30
8. “Leave My Blues at Home” – 5:07
9. “Seven Turns” (Dickey Betts) – 4:48
10. “High Falls” (Dickey Betts) – 27:27

A few weeks ago, I read and reviewed ARCADIAN DAYS: GODS, WOMEN, AND MEN FROM GREEK MYTHS by John Spurling (you can read my post here). I always enjoyed Greek myths as a kid, so revisiting many of these classic stories delighted me. After I finished with ARCADIAN DAYS I decided to give GODS AND MORTALS: ANCIENT GREEK MYTHS FOR MODERN READERS By Sarah Iles Johnston a try.

GODS AND MORTALS: ANCIENT GREEK MYTHS FOR MODERN READERS by Sarah Iles Johnston covers some of the same ground as ARCADIAN DAYS but with a slightly different approach. Sarah Iles Johnston first introduces the Greek Gods, then explores the stories of the Gods interacting with humans (frequently in sexual ways), and then dealing with heroes, both human and god-like.

Sarah Iles Johnston then presents a detailed history of the Trojan War and its aftermath. In addition, she provides the sources for the Greek Myths and useful Index of Characters .

If you enjoy Greek Mythology as much as I do, dive into the stories in GODS AND MORTALS: ANCIENT GREEK MYTHS FOR MODERN READERS by Sarah Iles Johnston for hours of fun and enlightenment. GRADE: A

Table of Contents:

• Gods, Mortals and the Myths They Inhabit — 1
• THE GODS — 15
• GODS AND MORTALS — 57
• HEROES — 159
• THE TROJAN WAR — 315
• THE RETURNS — 361
• Ancient Sources for the Myths — 419
• Table of Sources — 433
• Notes on Sources for the Myths — 439
• The Characters of Greek Myths — 453
• Index of Characters — 459
• Acknowledgements — 477

Air was in the theaters a month ago, but I decided to wait until it came to a streaming service we had on our TV. Sure enough, AMAZON Prime Video offered Air this week and I enjoyed every minute of it. When I taught Marketing classes at my former College, I used NIKE examples all the time since most of my students were obsessed with sneakers….especially Air Jordans.

Air focuses on John “Sonny” Vaccaro (Matt Damon) who works in NIKE’s basketball division which is struggling. Vaccaro is a visionary who sees Michael Jordan as the savior of the basketball division…and of NIKE itself. The story is set in 1984 where Adidas and Converse dominates the sneaker market. Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), CEO of NIKE, needs to be convinced that Michael Jordan could be a product Game Changer. Fortunately, Vaccaro gets support from Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) in Marketing and Howard White (Chris Tucker) in Sales.

In a career risking move, Vaccaro travels to North Carolina–unannounced–to meet with Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis), Michael Jordan’s mother. As Vaccaro makes his pitch to Deloris, he predicts to her what the future meetings with Adidas and Converse will be like. And, he tells her what questions to ask them.

Although the story concerns the competition among the sneaker companies to lure Michael Jordan to their company, the real action centers around Deloris Jordan and her influence on her son (who has no interest in NIKE).

Although we know the end of Air, the suspense is considerable as Vaccaro bets his career (and the jobs of everyone in the NIKE basketball division) on the outcome of these negotiations. Today, NIKE makes $4 billion each year on Air Jordans. Astonishing! GRADE: A

I love 1980s music and Air incudes plenty from that time!

AIR SOUNDTRACK:

Track Listings

On a distant planet a human colony is struggling to survive with a colder than predicted climate and problems growing food. They are down to 175 people (although they have many embryos ready…if the colony gets established). One of the 175 people is hot-shot pilot named Berto who is being questioned about an incident by the head of the colony, Marshall. Here’s part of the interview:

“Primarily that the Security officers involved were upset about the consequences of their own poor judgement, and one of them decided to work out his frustrations by assaulting an innocent bystander.”

“Huh,” Marshall says. “Mr. Drake assaulted you? How is it then, that he’s in Medical with a cracked zygomatic arch, while you appear to be completely uninjured?”

Berto shrugs. “I said he assaulted me. I didn’t say he did a good job of it.” (p. 169)

If you enjoy this kind if flippant repartee, then you’re likely to enjoy Edward Ashton’s Mickey 7. Ashton invents a future where human personalities can be stored and then reinserted into bio-3D printed bodies. This technology is used to provide a Mission Expendable–in this case Mickey 7–who does the serious and deadly work for the colony necessary for it to exist. And, this Mickey Barnes has died six times and has been regenerated for a 7th time.

Mickey 7 encounters a giant alien centipede on a mission outside the colony dome. Berto, the pilot who was providing air support, reports Mickey 7 has died…but doesn’t see that the giant alien centipede returns Mickey 7 to the dome unhurt. With the report that Mickey 7 has died, the Lab regenerates a Mickey 8. That becomes the focus of the novel with both funny and moving moments as the two Mickeys have to resolve their differences and keep their secrets while trying to stay alive from Marshall’s distaste for Expendables.

Mickey 7 is currently in production as a feature film. I’ll go see it! GRADE: B+

James Geary’s I Is an Other (2011) explores metaphors and how they work (or don’t work). Here are some examples of metaphors that don’t work:

“She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room temperature Canadian beef.” (p. 144)

“He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.” (p. 144)

Geary explains what makes metaphors work effectively. A metaphor activates two thoughts of two different things at the same time. To illustrate how this works, Geary resorts to one of my favorite Star Trek episodes:

“This same lack of essential context is what perplexed the crew of the Starship Enterprise when they encountered the Tamarians in the ‘Darmok’ episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Tamarians speak a language no one has yet been able to fully decipher. The Tarmarian tongue is so elusive because it is so allusive, consisting entirely of kennings from the alien race’s mythology and history.” (p. 162) That is, the Tamarians speak in metaphors. In comprehending metaphor, context is king. Once the crew of the Enterprise figure out the context of the Tamarians, they cracked the language code.

I enjoy James Geary’s breezy books on metaphors, aphorisms, and wit. Highly recommended! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword: Why I is an Other p. 1
Metaphor and Thought: All Shook Up p. 5
Metaphor and Etymology: Language is Fossil Poetry p. 17
Metaphor and Money: How High Can a Dead Cat Bounce? p. 29
Metaphor and the Mind: Imagining an Apple in Someone’s Eye p. 44
Metaphor and Advertising: Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads in Them p. 58
Metaphor and the Brain: Bright Sneezes and Loud Sunlight p. 76
Metaphor and the Body: Anger is a Heated Fluid in a Container p. 94
Metaphor and Politics: Freedom Fries and Liberty Cabbage p. 112
Metaphor and Pleasure: Experience is a Comb That Nature Gives to Bald Men p. 137
Metaphor and Children: How Should One Refer to the Sky? p. 152
Metaphor and Science: The Earth is Like a Rice Pudding p. 167
Metaphor and Parables and Proverbs: Mighty Darn Good Lies p. 179
Metaphor and Innovation: Make it Strange p. 197
Metaphor and Psychology: A Little Splash of Color From My Mother p. 208
Backword: The Logic of Metaphor p. 223
Acknowledgments p. 227
Notes p. 229
Bibliography p. 259
Index p. 291