Category: Space Opera

Book Review: The Chaplain’s War by Torgersen (4.5 Stars)

The Chaplain’s War

by Brad Torgersen

4-4.5 out of 5 stars

Release Date: 10/7/2014

I previously read parts of this as a short story and as novella (one of which was nominated for a Hugo last year and got my enthusiastic vote).  This novel fills in the gaps in Chaplain’s Assistant Harry Barlow’s past and a few important bits of his future.

The original stories were expanded and an additional story line added to pull all of the narrative into a cohesive whole.  I related well to Harry Barlow and had no trouble re-reading parts of his story.  Continue reading “Book Review: The Chaplain’s War by Torgersen (4.5 Stars)”

Book Review: A Call to Duty by Weber and Zahn (4 Stars)

A Call to Duty

by David Weber and Timothy Zahn

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars

A new series in the Honorverse, slated to be released next week.  We find ourselves back before Manticore knew it had a major wormhole, back before it had any spaceship building industry and soon after a Plague that wiped out much of its nascent population.  One of our protagonists is Travis Long, who enlists in the RMN (Royal Manticore Navy) while his supposed friends rob a neighboring jewelry store.  Travis acquires a couple of monikers during basic training that reflect upon his always by the book philosophy with respect to rules and regulations.  The political climate on Manticore has a faction of the civilian government clambering to dismantle the Navy and/or replace it with a Coast Guard like service that patrols the local system and protects merchants and miners from pirates.  The action ramps up when Manticore sends representatives to a Haven sponsored military surplus spaceship sale.  Pirates (or what we are led to believe are pirates initially) masquerading as legitimate buyers attempt a heist of their own on a much grander scale than Travis’ juvenile delinquent buddies.

Continue reading “Book Review: A Call to Duty by Weber and Zahn (4 Stars)”

Everything You Never Knew About The Making Of Last Starfighter

http://io9.com/everything-you-never-knew-about-the-making-of-last-star-1602703884?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

I’ve gone all nostalgic now.  I love this movie.   I should buy it so I can enjoy all these behind the scenes goodies myself.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Kirk Got Something Right

According to io9, Captain Kirk is right when it comes to diplomacy, despite (or because of) his bad press.

Kirk, in particular, comes in for a lot of bad press, as a captain whose life gets horizontal in ways that have nothing to do with gravitational anomalies.

Chortling aside, the article above had some interesting observations.  Enjoy!

Book Review: The Copper Crown by Kennealy-Morrison (5 Stars)

CopperCrownThe Copper Crown by Patricia Kennealy-Morrison

5 out of 5 stars

Read at least five times since the late 80s

Synopsis:

WHEN EARTH MEETS KELTIA WILL STAR EMPIRES FALL?

When lore became legend on ancient Earth and the powers of magic waned, the Kelts and their allies fled the planet for the freedom of distant star realms.

But the stars were home to dangerous foes, and millenia later, the worlds of Keltia still maintained uneasy truce with two enemy empires -the Imperium and the Phalanx. Then, at the start of the reign of Aeron, mistress of high magic and queen of all the Kelts, an Earthship made contact with her long-fled children. And while Earth and Keltia reached out to form alliance, the star fleets of the enemy mobilized for final, devastating war….

My Thoughts (Warning: Spoilers):

Every couple of years, I get the urge to pull out this novel and re-read it. Continue reading “Book Review: The Copper Crown by Kennealy-Morrison (5 Stars)”

io9 March Madness Final Four: Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings!

http://io9.com/io9-march-madness-final-four-harry-potter-vs-lord-of-1551342961

Easy voting today but the next and final round will be a tough devision.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

io9 March Madness Elite Eight: Lord of the Rings vs. Game of Thrones!

http://io9.com/io9-march-madness-elite-eight-lord-of-the-rings-vs-ga-1549513344?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_twitter&utm_source=io9_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Tolkien v Martin … I know who I’m voting for.  Do you?

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

io9 March Madness Sweet 16: Star Wars vs. Dune! Buffy vs. Cthulhu!

http://io9.com/io9-march-madness-sweet-16-star-wars-vs-dune-buffy-v-1548884550?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Some tough decisions among these polls.

And yes I continue to vote against Game of Thrones.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Fantasy v SF Round One Pits Epic Fantasy Against Space Opera

io9’s version of March Madness begins today with ‘Epic Fantasy v. Space Opera‘ so vote now so Gandalf won’t have to smack down Vader.  It won’t be pretty.

Of course, we’re holding the Mouse in reserve in case of foul play.