V. Richmond

Black Orchid, May 6 2008

This is one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes of the original series.

Black Orchid is a historial, which in Doctor Who terms means that it takes place in the past but without any aliens or other sci fi elements other than the presence of the Doctor and his companions and the TARDIS. For that reason, the episode looks a bit like a BBC period piece, although shorter.

The Doctor, played by Peter Davison, and his 3 companions arrive at the Cranley estate on the day of a charity party and cricket game. The Doctor is mistaken for a substitute cricket player that a friend of the owner had promised to send to the party. His companion Nyssa is discovered to be the double of… Read more

This one needed some work., Jan 5 2002

I have read a lot of Burroughs, and this one is rather typical of his stories. The idea of the civilized man having to survive in a savage part of the world is an all too common plot line for him.

The initial idea of European civilization being severely damaged by World War I, while an isolationist North and South America growing to the height of civilization and peace was a brilliant one. The idea of someone from the Americas entering the unknown European realm is a fascinating plot idea. Unfortunately, the book was just not long enough to really develop the story.

Even if World War I had gone as badly as the story indicates, I do not believe that European civilization would have… Read more

An interesting look at life for women in the 1920s., Jan 5 2002

The author's basic premise is that in the 1920s, women used display to resist, while at times seeming to conform to, those who would have squeezed them into the molds of how society would have them appear. In the first few chapters, she does a good job of this. Especially insightful is the example of her own grandmother, who as a young woman in this time period, disguised both her bobbed hair and her married state so that she could continue in her chosen profession as teacher.

However, in the latter two chapters of the book, the author seems to focus more on the exploitation of women by the theatre industry and it's effects. In this, she seems to stray too far from her theme. It would… Read more