[Book] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Book Cover This is a different form than my normal reviews.  I usually don't go back to old books to add to my reviews, but this is a touch-stone.  It's a book that a LOT of folks have read, and I hope it might help someone who also read this book tune in on where I'm coming from.  I read this book several years ago, and though I flipped through it to refresh my mind for this entry, I didn't just read it again in full....

20 Feb 2019 · 2 min · Gary Allen Vollink

[Book] Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu

Book cover I have a fairly particular view of science-fiction and how it is different from fantasy.  The fantastic element in science fiction is usually both a catalyst for the story itself as well as a way to explore the reactionary side of society.  Where in fantasy, the fantastic element is simply present.  Used as a tool, maybe even explored in depth, but isn't the main goal....

6 Feb 2019 · 3 min · Gary Allen Vollink

[Comic] Darth Vader 1-25 by Charles Soule, art: Giuseppe Camuncoli

Issue 1 cover If you read my review of the book, Oracle Year, I mentioned that Charles Soule writes for comic books, this is one of them that I've kept up on, and have read from start to finish, as this run ends at #25, though Charles Soule will have more to write for Marvel in the Star Wars world. This series starts moments after the end of Star Wars episode 3, Revenge of the Sith, and tells the story of both Darth Vader becoming the Dark Jedi Master under Palpatine, but also tells of the growth of the Empire during that time....

23 Jan 2019 · 3 min · Gary Allen Vollink

Book Review Feedback Request

I have gone through and updated tags on all existing and future book reviews, with the hope they may be easier to find in the future. First, all book reviews (even short ones) now include the tag book-reviews.  That is, if I'm telling you what I think about a book, it is a book review.  There are also short-book-reviews on some. If my general impression of a book is that I enjoyed it, I've included the tag, recommend....

10 Jan 2019 · 3 min · Gary Allen Vollink