Tag: review

Walter Koenig’s Raver – Review

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I am a huge fan of Walter Koenig’s Buck Alice and the Actor Robot and graphic novel, Things to Come. When I saw Raver in the iBookstore, I had to get it. It’s not available in paperback even though the first three issues of the comic are.

Raver had a different flair to it, but I found myself enjoying it. It is more of a psychological thriller than anything else. If you want a good picture of it before you dive in, read the description. This sounds very lazy of me considering I’m writing a review, but it’s true!

There are some novels/comics/etc with descriptions that fail to meet the mark, but this one? It states everything like it is and leaves no room for questions….In other words, there are no surprises. You know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

The worlds Norman creates in his mind have a good amount of action, monsters, and everything that makes a comic book entertaining. One world is a sordid mess of fairy tale characters trapped in their own lives, and at first, I cast a skeptical eye.When I read comics, I want super powers and action–lots and lots of action!

The scene held my interest as it progressed. It also helped that Koenig weaved some of his views into it, views which are on the opposite end of the spectrum as my least favorite philosopher, Ayn Rand. Hey, what can I say? I’m human to the core!

The first three issues were written in 1993 and were drawn by the same artist. The graphic novel includes a fourth issue drawn by another artist (equally as talented as the first). The style is a little different and makes heavy use of digital mediums. I want to go out on a limb and say that issue #4 was written years later. I couldn’t find any solid evidence for it, but parts of the dialogue lead me to believe that it was written sometime in 2012.

The final issue was good up until parts of the dialogue got a little too political. It doesn’t matter if I agree with the politics or not; if politics are going to be put into a story, I prefer them to be subtle and weaved seamlessly into the storyline. Regardless, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of Raver!

I give Raver 4/5 imaginary super powers!

I recommend it for avid comic book readers and for fans of Walter Koenig. If you enjoy his other works, you will enjoy this one.    

5 Sci-Fi Classics

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The Great Snowpocalypse of ’14 (with more snow on the way) has given many of us a snow day or two. Whatever are we to do with this sudden influx of free time? 

 Five great Sci-Fi classics that just may curb your boredom:

This black and white film is plot driven and isn’t flash-bang-flash like a lot of the movies you see today. It isn’t a puppies and roses sort of movie either. The human mind is a fascinating thing; The Day the Earth Stood Still did a great job of contrasting irrational fear of the unknown and curiosity. There are a few dated aspects of it, but they aren’t campy and don’t take away from the story.
Like The Day the Earth Stood Still, this one is driven by characters. Suspense flows through subtle things like the plane mysteriously climbing altitude, the air traffic control office tracking the flight and watching it vanish, and the three scientists on board talking about their work (which ends up being a recipe for doom). The Flight that Disappeared is a thrilling mixture of The Twilight Zone and Star Trek: The Original Series. 
3 .    Godzilla
Pick any of the older, black and white Godzilla movies, and you have yourself a campy classic…not to mention some turn-your-brain-off destruction fun! I remember parking myself in front of the TV every Saturday morning (on the weekends I spent at my dad’s house). My little sister and I skipped the cartoons and went straight for the “black and white” channel. It always aired the good stuff.
4 .    Gamera (1965)
This is another B movie classic that aired on the “black and white” channel. Oh, how I used to love Gamera! I thought he was the awesome of the awesome. When we played monsters on the old dirt hill behind my father’s house, I was always Gamera. If you like humor, you should check out Mystery Science Theater 3000’s mocking episode on it. There will be laughter, I promise! 
5 .    The Birds (1963)
Ornithophobia need not apply! This is an Alfred Hitchcock classic. It delves more into horror than science fiction, but I feel that it is a good classic for any snow day. Bring on the popcorn and the cheesy special effects!

Anthem – Review

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Anthem by Ayn Rand
I forced myself through this book for two reasons:
1. I’ve always wanted to read something by Ayn Rand.
2. The novella is public domain, so it is free on the iBookstore
Anthem is set in a dystopian future (I love a good dose of dystopian fiction if you haven’t guessed it by now). Rand’s writing in this particular work is unique and daring, especially considering that Anthem was published in 1938. What makes it so different? The futuristic society has no conception of “I.” All manner of individuality has been stamped out over the years.
I’ve seen complaints about how it is hard to follow because the main character refers to himself as “we” instead of “I” and “he” as “they.” I found it refreshing. If done right, experiments in writing (such as point of view and setting) are a thrill to read–this is coming from someone who has read her fair share of bad paperweights!  
Anthem follows the plight of a young man stuck in a pluralistic society that has lost all of the scientific and technological advances that mankind once boasted of. Relics from mankind’s illusive past are banned, and citizens are prohibited from straying off the path laid before them by the Council of Vocation. 
The council makes him a street sweeper, dashing his hopes of becoming a scholar. However, it doesn’t stop him from pursuing knowledge. Upon the discovery of an ancient, man-made tunnel, he begins conducting experiments of his own. Marvels dazzle his mind, and even though he finds himself falling for a woman, he continues his quest for knowledge. 
He eventually discovers the secret to electricity. Excited that this innovation will benefit his brethren, he has plans to take it to the Council of Scholars.
It sounds exciting, doesn’t it? The fun ends there.
Once he flees from the Council of Scholars, he turns into a running version of Ayn Rand, spouting her chilling viewpoint from every last corner in his mind. Anthem stops being an entertaining work of fiction and transforms into a terrible attempt at political commentary.
Some of “his” thoughts made my skin crawl. I found it ironic (and hilarious), that while “he” was spouting off Rand’s pure objectivism, he treated his love interest like property. The scene where he said that they needed to pick names for themselves because they were individuals made me want to delete the novella right then and there. Why? In the next heartbeat, he forced a name on her.
If you want to delve into Anthem, my recommendation is to read it up until the Council of Scholars refuses his discovery. You are better off writing your own ending for it.
I give it 2/5 Is. 
The only reason I gave it an extra I is because the first half was enjoyable.

One to Beam up – Review

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As any sci-fi fan knows, collecting related memorabilia is part of the game. It’s fun, and it makes for excellent interior decorating. Move aside, Grandmother’s Wallpaper, we’ve got some honest-to-goodness science fiction classics coming in!

I got myself a late little Christmas present, Quantum Mechanix’s Star Trek: TNG replica communicator badge (say that ten times in a row!).

It was advertised to be “real” metal, but you know how such things can go. Any collector knows how misleading product descriptions can be. “Deluxe Adult Star Trek Tunic” is at the top of my list when it comes to this. Almost any Star Trek fan knows what I’m talking about, the overpriced costumes of the wear once variety–an innocent gesture like sneezing, and you have a series of runs in your not-so-spectacular command tunic. 

I decided to take the plunge and get this one because there was no evidence of the wear-once-phenomenon in the reviews.  I was thrilled when I opened it to find that the metal was solid, and not the weak sort that bends when you bump into something. It’s a little on the heavy side, but I like it. The weight gives it a more realistic appearance.

It comes with a strong magnet and metal backing instead of a pin-like clasp. I was skeptical of it at first, but once I put it on, I found that the large back helps keep it from drooping (I’ve found that some badges and broaches with clasps will sag). The magnet works through heavy fabrics–just don’t put several layers between it and the back! It holds up pretty well.

I give it 5/5 starships!
It’s fun, it’s durable, it has a nice shine, and it is a decent replica. I recommend this for all TNG fans with a $20 bill that is burning a hole in their pockets.

A Peek at Casual MMOing

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As those who know me in real life already know, I am an enthusiastic MMOer (MMO stands for massively multiplayer online).  Most articles I read on the subject focus on the players who fall into the “hardcore” category. They are the ones who find the time to play several hours each day. They are the ones with the best armor, weapons, and equipment. They are the ones who run the guilds, fleets, and kinships, so it’s no wonder that they get most of the attention. *

Screenshots from Lord of the Rings Online

I consider myself to be a casual gamer, and this post is going to be all about those of us who log in for as little as ten minutes at a time! Let’s step into the spotlight for just a second. Every player is different, so I can’t say what is true for me is true for every other casual gamer out there.

Star Trek Online Fanart

External factors play a huge role in my casual MMOing.  Hobbies and obligations seem to be the most prominent ones—Time to call that relative from CA! Oh, I need to help out with XYZ! My novel and [ insert hobby that I take seriously here ] wants some tender loving care! There are times when I go a week without logging in. Do I feel bad about it? Yes, but only for those games in which I’m part of a guild/fleet…etc. The group leaders invest a lot of time in order to make it a pleasant place to log into.

Screenshot from Star Trek Online 

There is also the “I can’t keep up with the hardcore crowd and their group donations” guilt. It is always there! Some MMOs have made great additions for groups. Star Trek Online added fleet starbases, embassies, and dilithium mines. These group facilities can be upgraded with many options that, in turn, benefit each member of the fleet. It is really hard to keep up when you only log on a few times each week, and I don’t always want to devote what little time I have to farming for [ insert group item here]. I do what I can though, and I think this is the main reason that there is only one MMO where I’m a part of a group (they are the friendliest bunch of gamers, by the way, and that’s why I stick around).

Screenshots from Star Trek Online

Now then, what do I actually do when I log in? Sometimes the entire session is dedicated to perfecting my character’s outfit (glorified dress up, if you will). Sometimes I’ll team up with my fleet, and other times I’ll game on my own to try and collect the hottest points on the market. In Star Trek Online, it is currently dilithium and fleet marks.  Most of the time, and yes I’ll admit this, I log in just to chat with other players.  If I’m leveling a character, I spend my time completing quests, missions, and etc .  

MMOs I’ve played:
City of Heroes
Guild Wars
Lord of the Rings Online
Star Trek Online

* MMOs have an option where you can join a group of people who share the same interests as you. Think of it as a virtual club. It makes it easy for you and the other members of your group to keep in touch and game together.