A Fun and Helpful Book, Jul 19 2004

Once again, stubborn Jim is here. his time he is reluctant to go into the pool even though he has water wings on and all of the other kids are having so much fun. But when Jim stomps off in stubbornness, he falls into the pool. Once in the water, he remembers how much fun it is and begins swimming and playing with the other children.

The Jim books all center around stubbornness and rhymes. All of the other kids mentioned in this book provide plenty of fun material for the rhymes (now everything doesn?t rhyme with Jim).

My daughter loves this book and recognizes Jim from This Is Jane Jim (Jim gets a new baby sister). The artwork is simple, colorful and consistent. If you like Dr. Seuss's rhyming patterns, you will probably enjoy the Jim books.

The Action Continues, Jul 19 2004

The cast is assembled in a California ghost town looking to contact the general in charge of the old space mission and now a possible new hope in a world where the plant life has been ravaged by a red cancer termed Earthblood.

Contact is made briefly followed by disaster. The survivors again split up in hopes of meeting later; this time in Muir Woods north of San Francisco. All they know is that Zellig has some sort of base and it is somewhere to the North. During their travels we begin to learn more about the bad guys: The Hunters of the Sun.

Action abounds and cliffhangers pop out at almost every turn. Ammunition still seems to never run out and there is still no mention of bows. But still, the book is about action and hope and survival and that is just what it delivers. Reads like the middle book in a trilogy with plenty of development and travel but little resolution (that should be in the final book).

If you like the early Deathlands books you will probably like this trilogy as well.

Return to a Devestated Planet, Jul 15 2004

After most of the crew survive the landing, they discover that the world is a much different place. A plant cancer has been used as a bio weapon and all of the Earth's crops have been affected. With no food growing, global population plummeted.

The crew finds a message from their old general mentioning a contingency plan and a meeting date in a California ghost town. With some time to spare, the crew splits up to try and find pieces of their old lives before returning to the meeting place at the end of the book.

Written by Laurence James (author of the first thirty-odd Deathlands books), this is an interesting tale of survival and discovery in a devastated, but possibly healing, world. Much of the action is performed off-stage but there is still plenty in the book. Many of the usual pitfalls of such fiction abound such as everyone seems to be good at wasting ammunition and no one seems to have figured out the long-term advantages of bows.

Still, a pretty good tale with an interesting plot full of surprises and cliff hangers. There are only three books in this series (Deep Trek and Aurora Quest being the others).

Let's Rewrite the Bible, Jul 14 2004

Just how bad the show was can probably be summed up by saying that in one scene Noah greeted Lot. For those a little rusty on their Old Testament, Noah can be found in Genesis chapter 6 while Lot is Genesis chapter 19. This epic opened with the tale of Lot (minus Abraham) and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (also minus Abraham).

One thing that really puzzled me about this production was the way the locals kept treating Noah as if he were a fool. This puzzles me because the locals all knew that Noah had the only farm in the land where anything would grow. So would frustrated and hungry farmers merely laugh at Noah or would they hate him and raid his farm? I was also amused when some of the locals began quoting Shakespeare. At another point a Michael Palin look-alike runs up dressed in rags and with a long scraggly beard and says, "Its." A brief moment of humor for Monty Python fans but I don't know why it was in there.

But the writers of Noah's Ark did take from one good source, mainly the Broadway musical Two by Two starring Danny Kaye. Unfortunately the stolen scene was one of Noah's sons claiming the Ark was not finished because it did not have a rudder. Now if he were right and the Ark needed a rudder then God made a mistake. But it would also meant that Noah's son would have to be strong enough to operate a rudder on a boat three-hundred cubits in length. But the ark was built by God and not Noah. The writers also kept pushing the idea that an ark is a boat. No, but Noah's Ark took the form of a boat. An ark is simply a sacred container for the safe storage of something precious. Any fan of Indiana Jones knows that (or did he dig up a boat in Tannis?).

This production is available on video and DVD and my recommendation is that it should be avoided.

The "Truth" Behind Evolution, Jul 14 2004

In this contemporary novel we meet a research scientist working at the ground floor on a project to create a protein-reading computer. The project has great potential for fame once successes are made. But during an early experiment a startling discovery is made; viruses pass small proteins back and forth. What is the purpose of these proteins? Is it some primitive form of communication? Some lateral thinking on the part of the researcher prompts more tests while early news of the protein passing gets squashed by the government. It seems that the CDC feels this is a National Security Issue. But great minds are not known for giving up.

With a small, basement setup, the researcher continues his work. After weeks and major erosion on the marriage front, a small portion of a passed protein is read. What does it mean? He needs the resources of the full lab to find out. When the check is made it is discovered to be the same as a sequence found in the human frontal lobe. More questions are asked and more conclusions reached. Viruses are changing people. What is being changed? Unknown, at this point. But then another cover-up is leaked. Segments of the medical community have noticed growing numbers of a strange madness that seems to have no physical cause.

How may proteins exchanged by viruses and a new form of madness related? The answer is revealed in a manner that is both hopeful and horrifying at the same time. In VIRUS CLANS, Michael Kenaly utilizes the uncertainties in the science of evolution to spin a yarn that is gripping horrifyingly cohesive. The concepts put forth in this novel, and their consequences, are both scary and comforting. Some readers will probably disagree on the comfort angle but in my own personal feelings I do find some of the book comforting. If you like fairly hard science fiction cast more in shadow than in light, then you will probably enjoy this book.

Ugly Cover, OKay Book, Jul 14 2004

In the first volume the four are drawn together just in time to see a fifth, a girl named Senna, get dragged away by an elephant-sized wolf. They get drawn after the wolf and find themselves chained and hanging on a castle wall. The castle belongs to Loki, the Norse god of evil. It was Loki who sent Fenris the wolf to capture Senna. Senna turns out to be some sort of witch. But somewhere along the way Senna was dropped and Loki wants her found. Loki managed to escape from his prison when Everworld was created. This gave him the chance to imprison Odin in revenge. But Loki is also working with some sort of powerful alien.

The four manage to escape Loki's castle and run into a gathering of Vikings. They are getting ready to sail off to a great battle. The four are mistaken for minstrels and are taken on the voyage. The Vikings are out to raid the Aztecs. Using Mjolnir they hope to get the head of Huitzilopoctil as a tribute to Loki so that he will release Odin the All Father. Volume one ends as the great battle begins.

Everworld is an interesting place. It is of recent creation compared to the creation of our solar system. It is populated by many ancient peoples including Vikings and Aztecs. Powerful beings who claim to be gods also reside here. But where is here? Is it some sort of dimension created by the mysterious aliens? It in not a completely physical place. The characters return home when the fall asleep or lose consciousness in Everworld. But they are not missing in our world. They seem to be existing in two places at once with memories of being in both places.

I am looking forward to uncovering more of the mysteries as the series progresses. Volume one is SEARCH FOR SENNA. The narrative switches between characters from book to book. If you are interested in some good adventure that makes you think, but not too hard, then you might want to look for this series.

How The Wee Folk Were Bested, Jul 14 2004

Patrick Kentigern Keenan claims he is the smartest man in Ireland. He might very well be but he wants to prove it. In order to prove that he is as he claims, Patrick attempts to outsmart the fair folk. He begins by trying to trick a leprechaun but does not succeed as well as he would like. Several schemes later he is no closer to proving his case.

But then his young son is enchanted by the Fairy Queen and is being held captive. Utilizing his knowledge of legend, Patrick prepares himself for a confrontation on the Fairy's home ground.

In the end Patrick not only outsmarts the fair folk, but he neutralizes their power in the land. When the local townsmen set out to disprove his claims they find that he was telling the truth and they are forced to admit that he really is the smartest man in Ireland.

A very entertaining and quick read with plenty of good honest Irish lore. It is a pleasure to read a story based on so simple and Irish concept without getting bogged down the way so many modern Celtic fantasies do. THE SMARTEST MAN IN IRELAND was first released in 1962 but has recently been reissued by Magic Carpet Books. So if you like tale of the mischievous wee folk, you should take a look at this book. It's worth it!

Conclusion of a Space Odyssey, Jul 14 2004

Frank Poole's body has been found drifting in space and then revived. The last thing Poole remembers is being on a mission to Jupiter. Now he finds himself in a world a thousand years later. The ban keeping humanity away from Europa is still in effect. Because of Poole's relationship with Bowman, it is suggested that he might be able to land on Europa. Poole tries and is successful. He is contacted by what was Bowman. Later, in another contact Bowman brings distressing news. The nearest center of the intelligence that created the Monoliths is about 450 light-years away. That means that the events of 2001 have made it there, a decision has been reached and the answer is almost here. Bowman also knows of a link between the Monolith makers and a nova that has been puzzling scientists. It appears that a planet exploded and that triggered the nova. A similar fate might be in store for humanity. The forces of Earth, aided buy Halman (Bowman and HAL), put together a plan to survive. The most destructive computer viruses ever devised will be fed into the Monolith by Halman. The plan proves to be successful.

3001 is billed at the final Odyssey but it really opens up more questions than it answers. Now that Earth and Humanity have the attention of the Monolith builders how can we expect them to ignore us? I don't think they would but Clarke is done writing in this series. Maybe Gentry Lee will pick up the torch and continue the run. Another amusing aspect is the continual references to Star Trek. Clarke has also taken the opportunity to update some of the technology and history that Frank Poole should be familiar with. All in all it was another fine effort from possibly the greatest science fiction writer still writing. The book also contains an extensive afterword detailing scientific research, history and plot similarities with other projects. If you have read any of the other Odyssey books I recommend reading this one as well.

An Alternate View of Russian History, Jul 14 2004

When the Russian empire falls (in a fortnight due to Rasputin's curse), young Anastasia escapes with her life but not her memory. An old member of the court and an old member of the palace staff look for a girl they can pose as Anastasia in order to collect a reward. The girl they pick turns out to be the genuine article. After some harrowing adventures made more difficult by the efforts of Rasputin from beyond the grave, Anastasia is reunited with her grandmother. Then, just as all obstacles and plot complications are out of the way of romance the final showdown with Rasputin occurs.

One of the main reasons I had wanted to see this film was that it was the first true challenge to Disney's animation empire. I was very surprised to find out that Don Bluth (All Dogs Go To Heaven and other dogs) was behind the film. Bluth seems to have finally figured out how to make a good film and Anastasia will hopefully not be the last.

There are a few faults (of course) with the overall plot and the dealings with history but if one accepts this as alternate history they are not a real problem. For one, Rasputin dies by accident (although he does drown). Anastasia is found and reunited with her family. The Russian Empire is likened to Camelot where all is good for everyone. Rubles seem to have worth outside of Russia. But if you can handle that, you should have no problem with the story. The only real problems I had with the production involved the musical numbers and the animation. There was some good music but it just wasn't as clear as it should be. Oftentimes one had to guess what the song was about. The problem with the animation stems from to jarring an interface between the computer animation and the cell animation. Hopefully these small problems can be eliminated in future projects.

So, overall I really enjoyed the movie. It was a fun story with some old cliches eliminated (Tracy thinks they too a close look at the success of Buffy The Vampire Slayer). The animation was beautiful, if jarring in a few spots. The characters were likeable and believable and were backed by some excellent voice talents. If you get a chance to see this one on a big screen you should take that opportunity; it's worth it. If not, get the DVD.

The Movie That Started It All, Jul 14 2004

A rescue mission is sent to Mars to find survivors from a crash. One survivor is found and he is charged with the deaths of the rest of the crew as he has no explanation for their disappearance. But before they leave the surface, something gets into the ship and soon the crew becomes aware that something is not right on the ship. Then the bodies are found and the crew goes on the defensive. Impervious to bullets and grenades and capable of tearing open the hatches, the creature poses an immediate threat to everyone on board. What follows are scenes of the crew trying to stop the creature and remain alive.

It! is possibly the first film dealing with an unstoppable monster on a ship. For its age, this film is quite violent. There are hilarious scenes where the female members of the crew are left to clear the tables while the men sit and talk. File cabinets fill the ship. Other low tech equipment abounds. A fun film and a true classic.