Books, movies, politics, and whatever I want

Monday Book Pick: Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus

Monday, October 12th, 2015

Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card

In honor of Columbus Day, today’s pick is an excellent alternate history novel.

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Monday Book Pick: Doc Savage: The Sinister Shadow

Monday, October 5th, 2015

Doc Savage: The Sinister Shadow by Kenneth Robeson and Lester Dent

As my gentle readers may know, I’m a big pulp fan, especially of the Doc Savage novels. Most written by Lester Dent, under the house name of Kenneth Robeson. Will Murray proves himself as the modern master of the classic pulp with this mash up with Doc Savage and The Shadow. While I’m a huge Doc fan, I’ve read enough Shadow novels to do more than just hum the tune. Murray skillfully blends the styles of Walter Gibson and Lester Dent in this book. Stir in an over the top villain, who is completely and utterly ruthless, as an evil villain of the era should be, you have a story that Smith & Street would have proudly published.

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Monday Book Pick: A Call to Duty

Monday, March 30th, 2015

A Call to Duty by David Weber and Timothy Zahn

This is the first book in the Manticore Ascendant series, which is a prequel series to the Honor Harrington series. It takes place in the early days of the Manticoran Star Kingdom, when the Manticoran Navy was not so powerful or well funded. It took a couple of chapters to get me hooked, but one it picked up, I didn’t want to put it down.

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Monday Book Pick: Righteous Indignation

Monday, March 2nd, 2015

Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World by Andrew Breitbart
In honor of the third anniversary of Andrew Breitbart’s death, I’m repeating my book pick of September 16, 2011.

Andrew Breitbart tells the story of his transformation from clueless college student majoring in (anti-)American Studies to a warrior for the Constitution and for honesty in reporting from the main stream media. He explains in detail about collaboration between the DNCand the Media Complex (which includes TV News, print magazines and the film industry) and how to use new media to combat them and win! In chapter 7, he lays out his game plan for fighting the left in details some of the highlights include: Don’t be afraid to go into enemy territory; Don’t let the Complex use its PC lexicon to characterize you and shape the narrative; Ubiquity is key; and Truth isn’t mean. It’s truth. Leftist will try to talk about “your truth” and “their truth”, which is bullshit. There is just the truth.

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Monday Book Pick: George Washington’s Secret Six

Monday, February 16th, 2015

George Washington’s Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger

This well researched book looks into one of the first American spy rings. A group of Patriot spies operating in New York City and Long Island during the British occupation. These spies were key in multiple American victories, as well as foiling several British plots against the Patriot forces. These include foiling Benedict Arnold’s plan to hand West Point to the British, and the American victory at Yorktown

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Monday Book Pick: Quag Keep

Monday, February 9th, 2015

Quag Keep by Andre Norton

Let us venture back to 1978 for the very first novel about a role playing game. A group of adventures, including a Lizard Man, have these strange and vague memories of living in a technological society and having some hobby that involved books, papers, and dice. Dice just like the ones on the bracelets locked on their wrists that spin when they do things like fight or cast spells. Nearly four decades later, there is a pocket industry of game related novels. They all trace their roots to this classic.

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Monday Book Pick: Roswell, Texas

Monday, January 26th, 2015

Roswell, Texas by L. Neil Smith

This is a graphic novel, set in one of L. Neil Smith’s Libertarian universes. In this reality, Santa Ana was killed by a long range rifle shot from the Alamo, allowing the people in to escape, and the Republic of Texas to survive. Flash forward to 1947. There is a mysterious crash near the Texas town of New Mexico. Four Texas Rangers are sent to investigate, along with various military units and spies from various nations, including the California Republic, the Third and Half Reich, and a much smaller United States. It’s a fun read, and Ranger William Bear doesn’t just get the girl, he gets the girl.

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Monday Book Pick: The Cosmic Computer

Monday, January 12th, 2015

The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper

Originally published as “The Junkyard Planet” in 1963, and based on a short story (“Graveyard of Dreams”) first published in 1958. This is the story of a planet down on its luck. Poictesme experienced a boom when it was a major military HQ during the System States War. When the war ended, the Terran Federation couldn’t even afford to ship their gear home. Bases and Logistical centers were sealed up and all the military personnel left packed on transports. The planet’s economy takes a major hit. They are reduced to two major exports. The first is a local mellon prized for the brandy made from its juice. They can sell it for centa-credits a barrel, which is what the rare interstellar trader will pay for it. The brandy made from the juice sells for several credits a glass on Terra. Their other export is military surplus they dig out of old Terran Federation bases, which they are also paid in single digit centi-credits on the credit. A group of leading citizens pool their money together and send one of their own, young Conn Maxwell, to far off Terra. He is to study computer systems at a major university and learn all he can about the legendary Terran Federation military super computer, Merlin. After being told by impeachable sources that Merlin was a myth, Conn returns home with a plan to bootstrap the economy with a search for Merlin. His hope is that by the time the planet is producing its own starships and engaging in interstellar trade (instead of having middlemen dictate prices to them), the group of ‘leading citizens’ will realize that they don’t need Merlin. Then the unthinkable happens and throws a giant monkey wrench in Conn’s plans.

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Monday Book Pick: Pirates of the Timestream

Monday, December 8th, 2014

Pirates of the Timestream by Steve White

Jason Thanou is back (26 Aug 2013 Book Pick) for round three. This time is it in the golden age of Pirates. His team links up with Captain Henry Morgan while they battle it out with time traveling Transhumanists! Even worse, he has to deal the uncaring bureaucracy of his own government.

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Monday Book Pick: The Many Deaths of Joe Buckley

Monday, November 24th, 2014

The Many Deaths of Joe Buckley by Assorted Baen Authors & Barflies

This is raw meat for Baen fans. The complete collection of all the ways Baen authors have killed long time Barfly Joe Buckley.

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