Sunday Morning Book Thread - 5-4-2025 ["Perfessor" Squirrel]

May the Fourth be with you!

Welcome to the prestigious, internationally acclaimed, stately, and illustrious Sunday Morning Book Thread! The place where all readers are welcome, regardless of whatever guilty pleasure we feel like reading. Here is where we can discuss, argue, bicker, quibble, consider, debate, confabulate, converse, and jaw about our latest fancy in reading material. As always, pants are required, unless you are wearing these pants...(jaunty beret costs extra)

So relax, find yourself a warm kitty (or warm puppy--I won't judge) to curl up in your lap, and dive into a new book. What are YOU reading this fine morning?

PIC NOTE

Astute observers may note a passing resemblance to the Library of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. However, it's actually the Jedi Temple Archives as shown in the movie Star Wars: Episode II - The Clone Wars. In the Star Wars universe, there's no real reason to have such a building as all reading materials are digital and theoretically accessible from any terminal connected to the galactic network. In fact, most of the galaxy doesn't even know about books. In The New Jedi Order, a side quest takes the main characters to the Chiss Ascendancy in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy where they encounter physical books for the first time. The Chiss rightly point out the stability and long-term durability of printed books over digital records, even though it takes much more effort to search through physical books than it does to cross-reference information in a digital library.

MEGA MORON RECOMMENDATIONS

Retired Buckeye Cop sent me an extensive list of books regarding the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the Shroud of Turin:

A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ as Described by a Surgeon by Pierre Barbet. Published in 1953, this is the English translation of Dr. Barbet's book that had been published in 1950 in French. This book examines the extant ancient descriptions of crucifixions, as well as experiments the author performed on the hands and feet of cadavers. The draw-backs of this book are the rather stilted language and muddy photographs. However, I think Dr. Barbet is correct in his conclusions on the locations of the nails in His hands and feet, and that Jesus carried the patibulum (i.e., horizontal beam) to the permanently-installed stipes (i.e., vertical beam) that formed the tau-shaped cross. Also, there is a rather gruesome description of a similar method of execution used by the Germans in their death camps -- while death occurs due to asphyxia, it is accompanied by extremely painful cramping of the muscles, not just suffocation. Rating = 4.0/5

The Cross and the Shroud: A Medical Examiner Investigates the Crucifixion by Frederick Zugibe. Published in 1982, this book has lots of nice illustrations and detailed explanations of some of the physical effects of sweating blood, scourging, Crown of Thorns, and crucifixion. Lots of clear illustrations that help in expanding the text. Dr. Zugibe used live subjects to recreate aspects of crucifixion -- interestingly, none of the test subjects lasted more than about 15 minutes before wanting to stop the experiment. I generally think the author is on firm ground here, although I suspect that he's incorrect on the location of the nails in the feet (i.e., he favors the heel, rather than the top of the foot -- Dr. Barbet experimented with both methods and found the top of the foot much easier to penetrate with a nail). Rating = 4.5/5

Unlocking the Secrets of the Shroud by Gilbert Lavoie. Published in 1998, the author is also a doctor. This books has lots of details and photographs. Dr. Lavoie demonstrates that the blood stains had to be transferred to the fabric of the Shroud of Turin before the image of the man is transferred to the fabric. The author performed experiments that show that the blood stains that appear to the distant from the man's image could have easily touched the body while draped over the corpse. When the fabric is then spread-out, thats when the blood stains seem to move away. Also, the image is formed by oxidation, only 1 to 3 fibers deep: not paint, stain, etc. The details of the man in the Shroud become really pronounced when viewed as a photographic negative. The visible image is actually reversed. Rating = 5.0/5

The Shroud of Turin: The Illustrated Evidence by Ian Wilson and Barrie Schwortz. While not as scholarly as the preceding three books, there are lots of high-quality color photographs in this book. Published in 2000, this book does discuss the now-infamous carbon dating of the Shroud. The methodology used to obtain the sample was flawed (one fabric sample was obtained, rather than multiple samples from different locations), and further testing of other fabrics impregnated with biological material was found to give "younger" dates than were correct. Rating = 4.0/5

The Shroud of Turin is a fascinating artifact. If it's simply a Medieval forgery, the method used to create it has not been found. No one has been able to successfully duplicate the image. The image is essentially a photograph that is best viewed as a negative, and 3-dimensional processing of the image can be performed. Having viewed a life-sized negative myself, the details of the scourge marks are astounding: the injuries are consistent with those expected by the dumbbell-shaped weights at the end of the Roman flagrum, and the scourge marks have a logical directionality. The man's face seems like a photograph, and his right cheek is swollen and his nose appears to have been broken -- consistent with a blow to the face.
Personally, I side with Pope Pius XI when he stated that, in his opinion, after years of study and meditation, the Shroud of Turin is an "object that remains mysterious, but which has certainly not been made by human hands." At worst, if it's not the shroud of Christ, it's artist had to have been divinely inspired, and it's an icon that has been venerated for centuries.
Yours in Christ,
Retired Buckeye Cop

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BOOKS BY MORONS

Howdy Perfessor, this is longtime lurker / sporadic poster Jack Turk (TarzanTurk) and I'm tossing my new book into the ring for a semi-honorable mention in the esteemed Sunday Book Club.
I'm releasing it this coming Thurs - 4/30 - to commemorate Trump's 100th day in office - it's called:
"MAGA Marketing Secrets: 47 Trump-Tested Hacks For Building A Big, Beautiful Business"
It's packed with marketing strategies inspired by how Trump dominated attention and built an unstoppable brand on his comeback journey to the White House.

It's already on Amazon, awaiting formal launch day, AND for the next 5 days until Tuesday, April 29th I'm passing along a secret link to a carefully chosen few so they can get the Kindle ebook version for FREE.

Here's the link to the free Kindle version:
MAGA Marketing Secrets: 47 Trump-Tested Hacks For Building A Big, Beautiful Business

A friend of mine who's big in helping conservative candidates with their campaigns has already seen it and has posted a quick review

I'm doing whatever I can to get this in the hands of anyone who's got a microphone - or potential access to inside the White House itself - so as many people as possible hear about this.

If you have any introductions you don't mind making or thoughts on how I can get the word out or even smuggle me into Mar-A-Lago, that would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks and still wearing pants...

Jack Turk

Comment: I read the review written by the Nevada campaign consultant. Based on his description, this book does break down just WHY President Trump was successful despite all the "experts" claiming his campaign was doomed. Love him or hate him, President Donald Trump is a very authentic human being and most people who interact with him tend to like that in a politician. It's a refreshing breath of fresh air compared to the phoniness we see in candidates like Mitt Romney or Tim Walz.

If Long Live Death wasn't promoted during my tenure as custodian of this thread (I can't remember), then it's probably not among those books. However, I can certainly accommodate special requests.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at April 27, 2025 09:27 AM (n/UDa)
---
It was published in the Oregon Muse era, a few months before his death. As I said, I'm not requesting the full catalog, but I think that one is pretty significant given where we are as a society.
Walls of Men is there, and that tracks on your time.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at April 27, 2025 09:32 AM (ZOv7s)
Amazon Link:
Long Live Death: The Keys to Victor in the Spanish Civil War

Comment: I told A.H. Lloyd in the comments last week that I'd honor special requests (on a case-by-case basis). Long Live Death and the Spanish Civil War is mentioned frequently in the comments (usually by A.H. Lloyd, but the comments are often on point as there are parallels between that conflict and today's situation). I've added this book to the Books by Morons page in our digital library. Enjoy!

MORON RECOMMENDATIONS

I clicked "Random" on gutenberg.org and up came a book called, After Waterloo: Reminiscences of European Travel 1815-1819 by Major W.E. Frye (British), not published until 1908 after it was discovered in a cupboard.
Major Frye's reminiscences are extremely interesting because he visited the Waterloo Battlefield the next day (he was too old to have fought in the battle), then he traveled around Europe, meeting various people who either regretted the fall of Napoleon or were happy about it. The major admired Napoleon and his civil projects throughout his travels, such as the Simplon Pass. He spoke French, Italian and German so no one could get anything past him.
He loved theater and described the performances he saw, including famous people such as the actor Talma and the singer Grassini (one of Napoleon's ex-mistresses).
The Major has a gentle sardonic tone that is quite amusing. He fell in and traveled with people he met in coaches, so we also meet the people. It's like time travel.
Posted by: Karen at April 27, 2025 02:24 PM (Xx9uC)

Comment: The Major sounds like an interesting man. Obviously he loves interacting with people and hearing their stories, even if they may have been on opposite sides of the battlefield just a short time before he met them. I did not know Project Gutenberg had a "random" feature. It's neat in that you do get a very wide array of different works offered for you to read, sometimes in different languages like Finnish or Chinese.

+++++

Last week I was reading The Crown in Crisis by Alexander Larman about the abdication of Edward VIII.
Americans, if they think about it at all, imagine it was just some dust-up about the King and his cutie. But there were major implications in Edward insisting he wanted to marry Wallis Simpson. Had he pushed, or waited, Baldwin's government might have fallen and a "King's Party" take over. This at a time of foreign peril.
Wallis may have been a gold-digging shrew, but she had better sense than Edward, who was so love-besotten that he was willing to create chaos by abdicating if he couldn't get her as queen or even morganatically.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at April 27, 2025 09:23 AM (QnmlO)

Comment: Monarchies are weird. England's monarchy is pretty weird by itself, as the reigning monarch has tons of power--but only as long as it's not really exercised expect in extreme circumstances. Otherwise, the monarch is mostly a figurehead. I remember conversations in the final years of QEII's reign speculating whether King Charles would be crowned or if he would be skipped over in favor of Prince William, Charles' first-born son. I guess we know the answer to that now. Monarchs seem to provide a sense of stability to a country, especially if they reign for a long time and are well-regarded both domestically and internationally, as Queen Elizabeth II was for many decades. We'll see how long King Charles reigns, as he's reportedly had major health issues (he's not a young man). We'll also see if England survives as a nominally Christian nation or succumbs to the Caliphate infesting every level of power.

MORE MORON RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE: AoSHQ - Book Thread Recommendations

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WHAT I'VE BEEN READING THIS PAST WEEK:

After reviewing some of OregonMuse's old Book Threads, I thought I'd try something a bit different. Instead of just listing WHAT I'm reading, I'll include commentary as well. Unless otherwise specified, you can interpret this as an implied recommendation, though as always your mileage may vary.

Commonwealth Saga Book 1 - Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton

This massive doorstopper (1144 pages) tells the epic story of an alien invasion of the human-controlled Commonwealth planets by a bizarre extra-terrestrial entity known only as "Prime." Humans discover a pair of stars that suddenly disappear behind a forcefield 30 AUs in diameter that prevents anything from entering or leaving the star system, much like a Dyson sphere. Humans, being both arrogant and curious, set out to explore this anomaly, only to unwittingly cause the forcefield around one of the stars to collapse, releasing the hostile aliens trapped inside. Whoops! Whoopsie!

One of the more interesting aspects of this story is that there are at least *four* distinct genres at play here, all working together through the complex storylines. One storyline is treated as a police procedural, with Inspector Myo tracking down a criminal terrorist network responsible for mass slaughter across the Commonwealth. The criminals she is tracking are part of a spy/conspiracy story, believing that there is a hostile hidden alien in the middle of the Commonwealth, guiding humanity to unleashing the Prime for its own reasons. Meanwhile, the main political dynastic government has to deal with the alien invasion story, defending the phase-two worlds that are under attack. Finally, the man who invented the wormhole technology that made the Commonwealth possible is exploring the pathways of the Silfen, another alien race that is not hostile towards humanity, but exploits their own brand of physics that defies human understanding. I'm not sure how Ozzie's story ties into the main storylines yet...

Commonwealth Saga Book 2 - Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton

We pick up almost immediately where the previous book left off. The human Commonwealth has repulsed the Prime invasion for now, but at great cost. Twenty-three worlds have been lost to the Prime, with 40 million sentient beings confirmed killed in the Commonwealth (mostly humans). Now the defenders are trying to buy time to bolster their defenses while the Prime invaders consolidate their own conquest on the Lost23. Although the Prime has more resources than the humans, in terms of ships and armaments, the humans have their own tricks. It's an interesting contrast between the singular intelligence of the Prime that guides its civilization against the much more individualistic humans, who fight with each other as much as they fight against the Prime. Politics ALWAYS plays a part among the rich and powerful who rule the Commonwealth. Meanwhile, Hamilton still has multiple genres woven throughout his story, but they are merging in some ways. Inspector Myo is now convinced the Starflyer infiltrators are real and is working WITH the terrorists she was trying to catch in the first book. The Sentient Intelligence is taking a more active role in events, rather than watching from the shadows. The Barsoomians, an ancient sect of advanced humans, are also intervening as the Prime threaten their goals as well. Can humans defeat the Prime and will the Commonwealth survive intact? (MINOR SPOILER - YES, because The Void Trilogy is set 1,500 years in the future, and the Commonwealth is alive and well to face a different threat from the center of the galaxy.)

PREVIOUS SUNDAY MORNING BOOK THREAD - 4-27-2025 (NOTE: Do NOT comment on old threads!)

Tips, suggestions, recommendations, etc., can all be directed to perfessor -dot- squirrel -at- gmail -dot- com.

Disclaimer: No Morons were physically harmed in the making of this Sunday Morning Book Thread. Remember to lock up the liquor cabinet before a certain Ewok returns from his vacation paradise on Endor...

Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Tolle Lege

Posted by: Skip at May 04, 2025 08:59 AM (ypFCm)

2 I'm still working my way through the Levon Cade books by Chuck Dixon. I've just started book 6 (Levon's War) where the action will take place in the sandbox because someone he owes a lot of favours to needs a rescue from the Jihadis who are taking over.

The first 5 books have been pretty good reads. The amount of favours Levon (the MC) can call in when he needs to does seem to be a little on the high side, and the financial wherewithall he has also is a bit questionable, though the author does a pretty good job of explaining that from funds Levon acquires from the bad guys as he goes through them like a scythe through a wheat field. The favours-owed is left tied to his extensive list of deployments in the past where he saved a lot of people (we get a glimpse at that totality of deployments as a mention in book 6.)

It's a good time to transition from action on the domestic (USA) front to something overseas too, because the amount of interest in his actions by Treasury, Bureau (FBI), ATF, and DHS has waxed, waned, and waxed again that being made scarce and dropping off the radar inside the USA is almost a necessary plot-point by this point in the timeline.

(continues in part 2)

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 04, 2025 09:00 AM (O7YUW)

3 (part 2)

Levon is not invincible and he's been near-death a time or two. He's not written as a "superman" but just a very capable operator. The author is smart enough to understand that nobody can be aware of everything all the time, and Levon has missed things occasionally and in some circumstances, it's cost him.

I'm going to continue with these.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 04, 2025 09:00 AM (O7YUW)

4 Nice going with both the first post and the calling of same in the tech thread, Skip.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 04, 2025 09:01 AM (O7YUW)

5 Yet only think new I am reading is a Napoleonic era PDF.

Posted by: Skip at May 04, 2025 09:01 AM (ypFCm)

6 Booken morgen horden !

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:01 AM (gDlxJ)

7 Morning, Horde...How goes it?

Less than 650 pages to go in Judas Unchained...

A few interesting twists have started to show up now that the humans are interacting with the Prime invasion forces again.

The Prime is utterly baffled by humanity's talents for guerilla warfare, but it's been *infected* with human ideas, so it's attempting to figure out how counter-insurgency works.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at May 04, 2025 09:05 AM (GlyvH)

8 Good Sunday morning, horde.

I spent a lot of time in the hospital this week (Mom, not me), and in preparation, I grabbed Wuthering Heights from the shelf. Had not read it before. Will not read it again.

I'm almost done, and I'll finish, but I won't be happy about it. English gentry being dramatic and behaving badly. The end.

Posted by: Dash my lace wigs! at May 04, 2025 09:08 AM (h7ZuX)

9 Morning, Book Folken!

I'm currently on T. KIngfisher's A Sorceress Comes to Call, a fantasy set in about 1800 (not sure) in England. I'm guessing at the year, since people use carriages and horses to get around, and there are still great estates with servants. It's utterly fascinating. A young girl is dominated by her magic-wielding mother, who is determined to marry a rich man and have her daughter do the same. But this is not a romantic or social comedy by any means. Evangeline, the sorceress, is a cruel and calculating creature, and her daughter Cordelia, the main viewpoint character, feels helpless in her grip. It looks like she will have some allies, though. . . .

Their society is aware of certain magicks and enchantments, but Cordelia tells us the last witch-killings happened a while ago. So I'm guessing late 18th or early 19th century.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:09 AM (omVj0)

10 Just about everyone who actually knew Edward VIII was relieved to see him go, even apart from the Wallis entanglement. When your own father predicts you'll ruin the monarchy....

Oddly, the only one to really seriously defend him at the time was Churchill, for reasons I still find baffling, and which set back his rearmament campaign for far too long.

Posted by: Dr. T at May 04, 2025 09:09 AM (lHPJf)

11 I suspect the Shroud is a negative imprinted during the resurrection by Divine energy (for want of a better word).

Would have been interesting if the cave walls could have been examined too.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:10 AM (gDlxJ)

12 "The Last Man on the Moon" isn't there yet, but he's closer.

Apollo 10. The last dry run before Apollo 11's attempt for a lunar landing. The command module is named Charlie Brown, and the lunar module is Snoopy. I remember hearing those names on space broadcasts.

A key part of the mission is to separate the two spacecraft, invert Snoopy, and dock them again in the configuration they will have for a lunar landing. All is going well.

****

When I was buying Hardy Boys books (the blue spines) during grade and middle school, Dad gave me two of his (brown covers). I thought those were all, but I was looting the house today and found two more! One is in sorry shape, but the other looks good. Glad my sister and I are the only heirs.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 04, 2025 09:10 AM (p/isN)

13 Also last week, I read Strange Ink, a fantasy-horror story set in 2018 Brisbane, Australia. I found it a bit of a slog until the climactic chapters; the hero, a recently-divorced journalist on a small local paper, is kind of a wimp until he realizes who is possessing him (a dead SAS commando) and causing detailed, and painful, tattoos to appear on his body overnight. It's woven in with a political story, too. Not sure if I recommend it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:11 AM (omVj0)

14 I read Hell Bent by Greg Hurwitz. This is the third book in the Orphan X series. Evan Smoak, Orphan X, is pursued by three other Orphan assassins as the government wants to clean up the assassin program. Lots of action and an ending which promises more of the same in the future.

Posted by: Zoltan at May 04, 2025 09:12 AM (SQp7G)

15 I'm currently on T. KIngfisher's A Sorceress Comes to Call, a fantasy set in about 1800 (not sure) in England.

--

Alt history retelling of The Goose Gitl.
She's a good writer, but her wokeness bleeds through at times, imo.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:12 AM (gDlxJ)

16 Finished reading one of Peter F. Hamilton's standalone novels called: "Fallen Dragon," which I thoroughly enjoyed as I do all of Hamilton's works. It's best described as "impetuous local boy with a temper that sidetracks his life a bunch of times makes good after 20 years in the intergalactic corporate security services." Also: "intergalactic corporations baaaaaaddddd, man!"

Hamilton writes such wonderful detail into his world-building, seeming to just be leisurely taking his time creating all the massive detail needed to have a complete world for his characters. His character development is also outstanding. He writes doorstops, yes, but I never get tired of reading him. This one was "only" 631 pages, so almost a brisk read. Highly recommend. Oh, and there are a couple of unexpected plot twists that really change the story completely when you least expect it. Loved that.

Oh, and "Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained" is an excellent series. Can't recommend more highly.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 09:12 AM (/RHNq)

17 Good morning fellow Book Threadists. I hope everyone had a great week of reading.

The weather is a bit cooler and rain for the next few days. Perfect reading and bread baking weather. Retirement is wonderful.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 09:13 AM (yTvNw)

18 Sir Alan Burns spent his entire career in British colonial service, from the peak of empire in 1905 through its dissolution after World War II. Bruce Gilley tells his fascinating story in The Last Imperialist. Burns, born in St. Kitts, served there before moving on to Nigeria, the Bahamas, Belize, became acting governor of Nigeria, and then went to the Gold Coast, where he directed a new constitution as a prelude to self governing Ghana.

Colonialism has been subject to revisionist history, being called racist among other things, but to delve into Burns' story reveals a much more proactive technique of bringing subject colonies to a place where they can succeed in independence. The countries which used to be colonies of Britain in general are better places to live than those that never were, and those that amicably transitioned are better still.

Burns was constantly seeking to grow infrastructure and employment, and to make suffrage more broad. Everywhere he went he strove to build trust among the locals and to build a sense of shared responsibility which leads to self governance. His story is the best defense of colonialism as it should be understood.

Posted by: Thomas Paine at May 04, 2025 09:13 AM (lTGtQ)

19 Morning, Perfessor.

Howdy, horde.

Not a lot of reading this week and previous. Under the weather.

After reading Dirda's book on Conan Doyle, thought I'd look at his others. Mostly collections of his reviews and essays -- not bad, though he's not in Joseph Epstein's league.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025 09:14 AM (q3u5l)

20 If you have entered the Book Thread sans pantalon, thinking "no biggie", since Ace is on vacation, be advised that Ace will see the Book Thread Pants Report tomorrow first thing upon his return.

The Perfessor appreciates your support in keeping him off of an impromptu Zoom ~~call~~ emotional outburst.

Posted by: Bob from NSA at May 04, 2025 09:14 AM (0sNs1)

21 Love that jacket blurb!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:14 AM (kpS4V)

22 On my TBR from the library pile: The Autobiography of James T. Kirk, "edited" by one David A. Goodman; and Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born, a 2022 analysis of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Evan Ross Katz. I've dipped into both, and they look verrrry interesting.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:14 AM (omVj0)

23 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes. Went out drinking last night and now I can't find my cell phone. I know it's somewhere in the house, but I'll be damned if I know where (and no, the ringer is turned off).

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at May 04, 2025 09:15 AM (Dg2sF)

24 Next up for me will probably be Peter F. Hamilton's "Great North Road," which is described as:

A century from now, thanks to a technology allowing instantaneous travel across light-years, humanity has solved its energy shortages, cleaned up the environment, and created far-flung colony worlds. The keys to this empire belong to the powerful North family—composed of successive generations of clones. Yet these clones are not identical. For one thing, genetic errors have crept in with each generation. For another, the original three clone “brothers” have gone their separate ways, and the branches of the family are now friendly rivals more than allies.

Or maybe not so friendly. At least that’s what the murder of a North clone in the English city of Newcastle suggests to Detective Sidney Hurst. Sid is a solid investigator who’d like nothing better than to hand off this hot potato of a case. The way he figures it, whether he solves the crime or not, he’ll make enough enemies to ruin his career.

Yet Sid’s case is about to take an unexpected turn: because the circumstances of the murder bear an uncanny resemblance to a killing that took place years ago on the planet St. Libra."

Hmmm.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 09:16 AM (/RHNq)

25 "looting the house today"

That should be "Saturday."

I write my initial Book Thread posts the night before.

Carry on.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 04, 2025 09:16 AM (p/isN)

26 Good morning!

Posted by: Everybody's Codetalking At gp at May 04, 2025 09:17 AM (7o9l6)

27 It's been a while since I read it, but I can recommend "Theft of Fire" by Devon Eriksen. Good old fashioned SF, without a bunch of transgendered muppets sitting around talking about their feeling and ranting about the patriarchy.

It comes to mind because I saw that the second book will be out soon.

Even if it weren't a decent read, I would have bought it just because the Woko Haram hate, hate, HATE Eriksen, and did their best to cancel him.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at May 04, 2025 09:17 AM (W5ArC)

28 Just about everyone who actually knew Edward VIII was relieved to see him go, even apart from the Wallis entanglement. When your own father predicts you'll ruin the monarchy....

"You dress like a cad, you act like a cad, you are a cad!"
- George V to Edward

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at May 04, 2025 09:17 AM (Dg2sF)

29 Posted by: Thomas Paine at May 04, 2025 09:13 AM (lTGtQ)

If you haven't seen it, Bruce Gilley also has a book on the history of German colonialism, about which I didn't know much beforehand. Once I've finished it, I'll put up a comment about it.

Posted by: Dr. T at May 04, 2025 09:17 AM (lHPJf)

30
Alt history retelling of The Goose Gitl.
She's a good writer, but her wokeness bleeds through at times, imo.
Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025

***
She hasn't been hitting me over the head with that, at least not so far. "The Goose Girl," as you point out, is clearly an inspiration; the horse in the novel is also named Falada.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:18 AM (omVj0)

31 Yay book thread!

*reads book thread*

"Long Live Death and the Spanish Civil War is mentioned frequently in the comments (usually by A.H. Lloyd, but the comments are often on point as there are parallels between that conflict and today's situation)."

Ahem, they are always on point. I am shamelessly self-promoting, but always relevant.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:18 AM (ZOv7s)

32 Or maybe not so friendly. At least that’s what the murder of a North clone in the English city of Newcastle suggests to Detective Sidney Hurst. Sid is a solid investigator who’d like nothing better than to hand off this hot potato of a case. The way he figures it, whether he solves the crime or not, he’ll make enough enemies to ruin his career.

Yet Sid’s case is about to take an unexpected turn: because the circumstances of the murder bear an uncanny resemblance to a killing that took place years ago on the planet St. Libra."

Hmmm.
Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 09:16 AM (/RHNq)
----
"Death" and "murder" take on whole new dimensions in Hamilton's worlds, since life is easily restored, except under unusual circumstances. It's an interesting exploration of post-death society when people (or just their consciousness) can live potentially forever.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at May 04, 2025 09:18 AM (GlyvH)

33 Good morning again morons and thanks perfessor

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 04, 2025 09:18 AM (RIvkX)

34 Well, this past week I finally pulled the trigger and mailed three stacks of comic books off to a bindery, where they will be somewhat torn apart, and then sewn together into three big hardcover books. I generally like to keep my stuff in good condition, so I'm apprehensive about breaking them for any reason...but if I end up with books I can display on my selves (instead of hide away in boxes) and still easily read, it'll be worth it.

That said, the bindery company says to expect the process to take 8 to 10 weeks (comic books projects are not their top priority) or even longer during their busy season. And their busy season is from May to August. I picked the wrong time to get bitten by the custom-bound-comics bug...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 09:18 AM (Lhaco)

35 Read the first 2 Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee books (series Dark Winds is based on) .
Chee hasn't shown up yet, and Leaphorn is just a supporting character in book 1

Also read Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston & Child, finished Relic, and Reliquary is on deck.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:19 AM (6U1c2)

36 Dr. Pinder Chipps and his centaur children--hahaha!

What book is this?

Posted by: Dash my lace wigs! at May 04, 2025 09:19 AM (h7ZuX)

37 Oddly, the only one to really seriously defend him at the time was Churchill, for reasons I still find baffling, and which set back his rearmament campaign for far too long.
Posted by: Dr. T at May 04, 2025 09:09 AM (lHPJf)
---
Churchill was very loyal to his friends, and he was also tenacious. It was usually a help, but sometimes a hindrance.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:20 AM (ZOv7s)

38 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes. Went out drinking last night and now I can't find my cell phone. . . .
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing

This is easy - where is the last place you left it?

Posted by: Tonypete at May 04, 2025 09:20 AM (vKNmo)

39 Did I vow to not buy more books until I've read my TBR pile? Yes I did.

Did I return from the library book sale with a Santa sack full of books? You know I did!

"Waffen SS: Hitler's Black Guard at War" by Christopher Ailsby
"The Thousand Islands", a photo book on the bazillion little islands in the St. Lawrence River. There are cottages, and even castles, on most of the islands and I am jealous, because I've always wanted my own island.
"Time Troopers", a Baen short story collection with a time travel theme.
A couple steampunk anthologies. I know steampunk is so 2010's and played out, but I still like it.
"Bored of the Rings 51st Anniversary Edition". Always good to have a backup copy.
A handful of Mack Reynolds SF paperbacks. Never read him.
And the jewel of the collection, "Fat Men From Space" by Daniel Pinkwater

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:20 AM (kpS4V)

40 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes. Went out drinking last night and now I can't find my cell phone. I know it's somewhere in the house, but I'll be damned if I know where (and no, the ringer is turned off).
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing

______

Robin Williams - "I had to stop drinking alcohol because I used to wake up nude on the hood of my car with my keys in my ass."

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at May 04, 2025 09:20 AM (UBKzV)

41 We'll also see if England survives as a nominally Christian nation or succumbs to the Caliphate infesting every level of power.
Perfesser Squirrel, at this juncture my money’s on the caliphate.

Posted by: Eromero at May 04, 2025 09:21 AM (LHPAg)

42 We'll also see if England survives as a nominally Christian nation or succumbs to the Caliphate infesting every level of power.

Sadly, iacta alia est.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at May 04, 2025 09:21 AM (0sNs1)

43 40 & 41, Horde Mind.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at May 04, 2025 09:21 AM (0sNs1)

44 @24 --

That does sound interesting.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 04, 2025 09:22 AM (p/isN)

45 Morning, 'rons and 'ronettes. Went out drinking last night and now I can't find my cell phone. I know it's somewhere in the house, but I'll be damned if I know where (and no, the ringer is turned off).
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at May 04, 2025

***
If the ringer is off, will it still make some kind of noise when it receives a text? If so, borrow a friend's phone and send a text.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:22 AM (omVj0)

46 Posted by: Thomas Paine at May 04, 2025 09:13 AM (lTGtQ)

If you haven't seen it, Bruce Gilley also has a book on the history of German colonialism, about which I didn't know much beforehand. Once I've finished it, I'll put up a comment about it.

Posted by: Dr. T

It is in my TBR pile. It is interesting how marxists around the world have been trying for years to rewrite history.

Posted by: Thomas Paine at May 04, 2025 09:22 AM (lTGtQ)

47 Robin Williams - "I had to stop drinking alcohol because I used to wake up nude on the hood of my car with my keys in my ass."
Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at May 04, 2025 09:20 AM (UBKzV)
---
At least he knew where to find his keys...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at May 04, 2025 09:23 AM (GlyvH)

48 Read the first 2 Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee books (series Dark Winds is based on) .
Chee hasn't shown up yet, and Leaphorn is just a supporting character in book 1. . . .

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025

***
As I recall, the second Leaphorn is particularly vivid. Is that the one where a helicopter is involved?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:24 AM (omVj0)

49 Well, 41 & 42, Horde Mind.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at May 04, 2025 09:24 AM (0sNs1)

50 Hamilton also has a series of novels featuring a detective named Greg Mandel, who is a sort of human lie detector. The novels have been collected into a couple of volumes, the first called "The Mandel Files," described as:

"In 'Mindstar Rising,' Greg Mandel, gifted—or cursed—with biotechnology that makes him a living lie detector, is hired to investigate corporate espionage by Event Horizon, a powerful company about to introduce a technology that will solve the energy problems of a world decimated by global warming.

Set two years later, 'A Quantum Murder' once again teams Mandel with Event Horizon and its beautiful young owner, Julia Evans, in a locked-room mystery that combines the ingenuity of an Agatha Christie novel with cutting-edge speculative brilliance."

I like a good detective story, so I think I'll check it out.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 09:24 AM (/RHNq)

51 I've started reading Brain Lock: Free yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior at a friend's request. This is not my first self-help book, and one of the better ones. Author Jeffrey M. Schwartz is respectful and even supportive of religion, which is not common in the doctrine. I recall a book I read a while ago where - in addition to solving mental illness - the author also "fixed" Christianity and Judaism.

I'm not real versed in OCD, but so far the author agrees with what little I know, which means he is very wise.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:24 AM (ZOv7s)

52 Also read Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston & Child, finished Relic, and Reliquary is on deck.
Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:19 AM (6U1c2)
----
Reliquary is pretty wild. Pendergast explores the deep underbelly of NYC, mingling with the dark denizens that live their whole lives down there...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at May 04, 2025 09:25 AM (GlyvH)

53 Currently reading Purrington's "The Heroic Age: The Creation of Quantum Mechanics, 1925–1940," and collecting as many of the original sources as I can find online. Circa 1900-1925 was the "old and busted" QM. 1925-1940 was the "new hotness" QM due to DeBroglie.

Posted by: Everybody's Codetalking At gp at May 04, 2025 09:27 AM (7o9l6)

54 While preparing to commission some custom-bound-comics, I went on a bit of a comic book buying binge on ebay. (Gotta have the comics before I can re-bind them) I think I got it out of my system, now, but I did buy several collections on little more than a whim. Especially the last collection I bought, "The Maze Agency," a comic I had never heard about before it was mentioned on this thread a year or so ago, (probably by Weak Geek) and had been keeping an eye out for ever since.

So, I saw an ebay lot for the whole series, but at an exorbitant price. There were several reasonably priced lots, but they were of incomplete runs, often with gaps between the issues they did have. But as I was looking, I noticed two of the lots were...practically opposites. Between the two of them, I'd have a nearly-sequential run. So I bought 'em. Before I left the site, I found a third lot that covered even more gaps. So now I have 18 or the 23 issues, with only 2 duplicates, and still at half the price of the whole series lot. I can see how hunting for back issues can be frustrating, but it can also be sooooo satisfying when I collection comes together just right...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 09:28 AM (Lhaco)

55 I started a cozy Journal RPG called One Day at a Thyme a couple of years ago, but hadn't gotten past describing "my" cottage and to the actual RPG part. I asked Grok for some tips on getting started with the writing again and being able to write consistently. With that, I have now been adding to it the last couple of weeks.
The events of the RPG portion are decided by card draws from a poker deck. I've found that I like to make the draws for the next scene before I write the current one as it gives me a chance to tie the events together in a rational manner.
One reason I wanted to get further on the project is that I am using the fantasy setting sections to introduce factual sections about myself and our family. My hope is that once it's done it will help my kids understand their past better.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 09:28 AM (lFFaq)

56 We'll also see if England survives as a nominally Christian nation or succumbs to the Caliphate infesting every level of power.
Perfesser Squirrel, at this juncture my money’s on the caliphate.
Posted by: Eromero at May 04, 2025 09:21 AM (LHPAg)
---
Recent surveys show that 40% of English young people (18-35) now attend Catholic Mass each week. This is twice the rate of Anglican worship.

In addition, countries across Europe are seeing consistent increases in adult baptisms. France had another record year for conversions (18,000 teens and adults) and also 9,000 'reverts' who received confirmation.

Small numbers, but they keep going up.

I'm thinking that officials panicking over silent prayer are only making people more curious as to why old ladies are wiling to face imprisonment to do it.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:29 AM (ZOv7s)

57 I'm just hoping that if I relax and let my mind wander, I'll find the phone. I'm pretty sure I had it in the bedroom last night, but I've torn the bed apart and still can't find it. Anyway, I have today and tomorrow to look, as I won't be working until Tuesday. If I don't find it tomorrow, I'm screwed.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at May 04, 2025 09:29 AM (Dg2sF)

58 An interesting historic tidbit was the zeppelin LZ 104 sent down to rescue Paul von Lettow-Vorbek's beleaguered troops in East Afrika. Unsuccessful, but an incredible overland journey.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:29 AM (kpS4V)

59 I'm convinced that the Shroud of Turin is the burial shroud of Christ.

Matt Fradd over at Pints with Aquinas recently did an interview with a Catholic priest who is an expert in the field, and who described the latest revelations about the Shroud. It's a long interview with a huge amount of interesting new information, so well worth the investment of time:

https://tinyurl.com/Pints-with-Aq-Shroud

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 09:30 AM (/RHNq)

60 I'm almost done, and I'll finish, but I won't be happy about it. English gentry being dramatic and behaving badly. The end.
Posted by: Dash my lace wigs! at May 04, 2025 09:08 AM (h7ZuX)

That was my take as well.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 09:31 AM (lFFaq)

61 I've been reading "What's Mine's Mine" by George MacDonald. It's a straight novel instead of one of his fantasy stories. But the writing quality remains just as high and effective. The man seems incapable of poor writing. It is encouraging that so much of his work is being produced in good quality physical books. There must be a demand and people willing to shell out money for works that are worth preserving.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 09:33 AM (yTvNw)

62 Books:
Been on yet another buying spree, but ended up lonely and unhappy afterwards, as I noted a couple of weeks back. It's a gray, dreary, slimy day outside, so I am probably going to crack open The Boston Massacre: A Family History and see how that goes. As I said above, perhaps if I let my mind wander and sober up, I'll remember where my phone is.

And, speaking of books, I told you all about Making The Presidency, a book about the first Adams administration. Well, I finally finished it. I'd been enjoying it right up until the end, where the author compared the transition from Adams to Jefferson to the 'violent insurrection' of J6 that 'desecrated the Capitol.'

And that was that. Fuck the book, fuck the writer and fuck me for buying it without glancing at the conclusion.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at May 04, 2025 09:34 AM (Dg2sF)

63 Niels Bohr's Nobel Lecture of Dec 1922 is a short but very densely packed summary of results from the era of "old" QM. Because I stop at every single reference to look up sources, I'm only halfway through the 37 pages:
https://tinyurl.com/5ykvw6h8

Posted by: Everybody's Codetalking At gp at May 04, 2025 09:35 AM (7o9l6)

64 Since it already got mentioned, in pre-civil war Spain, the Catholic Church was something of a spent force. Going to Mass was for women and children.

Franco was very unique insofar as he remained a regular attendee and did not drink heavily and chase women, as most officers did. (Leftist historians tried to claim that he opportunistically turned to the Church, but this is an easily disproven lie.)

One of the milestones to war was the Popular Front's war on the Chuch, both abolishing parochial schools and allowing arson and murder of the clergy. What they found was that while Spanish men though Church was unmanly, they bitterly resented seeing the priest who baptized them and their kids murdered.

And of course, the Catholic Church itself finally found its spine and declared a crusade.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:35 AM (ZOv7s)

65 England knows how to fight but has forgotten what’s worth fighting for, is it their children? I hope so.

Posted by: Eromero at May 04, 2025 09:36 AM (LHPAg)

66 . . . Especially the last collection I bought, "The Maze Agency," a comic I had never heard about before it was mentioned on this thread a year or so ago, (probably by Weak Geek) and had been keeping an eye out for ever since. . . .

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025

***
I know i mentioned the comic series earlier on this thread. During the Sniffle Scare I heard about Mike Barr's tribute to and crossover with the Ellery Queen character, and I had to have that. Ordered it from eBay. They draw Ellery (including pipe!) and his father the Inspector very well, the plot feels like a solid EQ mystery, and the final scene echoes the ending of the EQ serial killer story Cat of Many Tails, to good effect. I'm glad I bought it.

This was issue 9, "The English Channeler Mystery."

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:36 AM (omVj0)

67 An interesting historic tidbit was the zeppelin LZ 104 sent down to rescue Paul von Lettow-Vorbek's beleaguered troops in East Afrika. Unsuccessful, but an incredible overland journey.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:29 AM (kpS4V)
---
Did they reach the secret base in Antarctica that leads to the hollow earth?

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:36 AM (ZOv7s)

68 I've just read the first few issues of "The Maze Agency," a comic book that I first heard about from Weak Geek a year or so ago on this thread. It's a mystery series, in the same vein as "Monk" or "Murder, She Wrote." (See, I went with an M theme) It features a professional private investigator (Jenifer Mays, who owns the titular Maze Agency. I didn't see the pun until issue 2 or 3. I'm not a good mystery reader.) and a mystery writer/amateur detective (Gabriel Webb, who looks like the lead actor in the "Time Chasers" movie. An obscure reference, but it was the first thing that came to mind.) who team up to solve the mystery-of-the-month. And not just murder-mysteries, which is a nice change of pace...

I've enjoyed the first few issues, but....they are only 26 pages long, which is a bit short for these sorts of stories. There's not a lot of time for subtlety or pacing. You kind of need to re-read the story a time or two to actually see the hints/connections that the author was trying to lay out in the story. Fortunately, 26 pages is not a big commitment, so it's really easy to re-read.

I'm enjoying it so far. Pit the comic is so obscure...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 09:37 AM (Lhaco)

69 Finished Huck Finn for the first time in at least 40 years. Finishing July, 1914 by Sean McMeekin. Thinking about undertaking Anna Karenina, but did not much like War and Peace or The Cossacks.

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at May 04, 2025 09:37 AM (UBKzV)

70 I thought the Shroud had been tested for carbon dating. But they only tested a small sample that the results were inconclusive.

Basically, those who tested it said "well, it's old".

Posted by: dantesed at May 04, 2025 09:39 AM (Oy/m2)

71 Issue 9 of "The Maze Agency" was to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ellery Queen -- who debuted in 1929; so it must have come out in 1989.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:39 AM (omVj0)

72 Did they reach the secret base in Antarctica that leads to the hollow earth?
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:36 AM (ZOv7s)

A really interesting and fun book is Paul Collins' Banvard's Folly, a collection of essays about people whose obsessions ruined their lives. There are chapters about John Cleves Symmes, who tried to get Congress to fund an expedition to find the Arctic hole and one on Cyrus Teed, who believed not only that the world was hollow, but that we live on the inside.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at May 04, 2025 09:40 AM (Dg2sF)

73 Everybody sez some guy named "Al-Khwarizmi" invented algebra, but I've been perusing Heath's "Diaphantos of Alexandria," and I say Diophantus invented it, 1000 years before the other guy:
https://tinyurl.com/4t45z7fm

Posted by: Everybody's Codetalking At gp at May 04, 2025 09:40 AM (7o9l6)

74 Good morning Book Horde. I've been in the lengthy process of dusting off my book cases, introducing new books and seeing what I have to de-access. Should only take another few months.

Posted by: Josephistan at May 04, 2025 09:40 AM (GM3CZ)

75 Finished Huck Finn for the first time in at least 40 years. Finishing July, 1914 by Sean McMeekin. Thinking about undertaking Anna Karenina, but did not much like War and Peace or The Cossacks.
Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at May 04, 2025 09:37 AM (UBKzV)
---
In 1998 I did lawyer referrals and when things slowed down, I passed the time reading newspapers online, which was still fresh and cool.

Then I found that books were being uploaded, so I read Anna Karenina at work, in large part to say that i did it.

I was okay, and if I wasn't stuck at work, my attention span would have faded.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:41 AM (ZOv7s)

76
Regarding the English monarchy, I'm at the point where I support the most hated couple on the internet to stage a coup and take over.

Harry might be a shallow retard, but he's bragged of killing jihadis, and even if he didn't, he shows up in court regularly to FIGHT! the British Surrenderocracy.

Posted by: Auspex at May 04, 2025 09:42 AM (j4U/Z)

77 Posted by: Dash my lace wigs! at May 04, 2025 09:19 AM (h7ZuX)

Looking it up, apparently it's from So Your Son is a Century by Obvious Plant.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 09:42 AM (lFFaq)

78 I'm reading another Stephen Hunter book, "Time to Hunt," and am maybe 10 percent into it.

Bob Lee Swagger is deep in the boonies of the RSVN, armed to the teeth, his sniper gun a model 70 .308.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at May 04, 2025 09:43 AM (KiBMU)

79 What's a good book to start with for Peter Hamilton?

Book I am slowwwly reading - Jesus of Nazareth, book one in the trilogy on Jesus by Pope Benedict XVI

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:43 AM (dE3DB)

80 I am working my way through the Sun Eater series, by Christopher Ruocchio. I think it's a 7 book series with 6 of the books complete, but maybe it will be longer. I just started Book 3.

The first book starts off a bit slow, but then gets more interesting and stays that way.

It's very well done, and is keeping my attention very well, but the strange thing is just how many echoes there are from Gene Wolfe's great Book of the New Sun series. It's as though the author treated it as a genre and wrote another book in that genre.

A first person narrator writing from a distant future where he has become a significant figure, warning the reader at the end of each book that this is an onerous journey and reader need not continue, cast out and encountering a series of very unexpected events as he wanders in the world.

There are common words between the two, that I do not generally encounter, like "pelagic" and "sabretache."

Is there some explanation for this? Are these now conventions of a genre whose name I do not know?

Anyway, so far, so good.

Posted by: Splunge at May 04, 2025 09:43 AM (ju/6W)

81 I thought the Shroud had been tested for carbon dating. But they only tested a small sample that the results were inconclusive.

Basically, those who tested it said "well, it's old".
Posted by: dantesed at May 04, 2025 09:39 AM (Oy/m2)
---
They tested a portion that had been restored in the 1300s and proclaimed it was a forgery.

Much of religious study today is designed to discredit it, not actually seek truth about it. Christianity Today infamously ran a story on Good Friday claiming that "Askhually, Christ wasn't *nailed* to the Cross and John's Gospel is suspect."

It went viral on social media and within hours notes and corrections were made.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:44 AM (ZOv7s)

82 Love that jacket blurb!
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:14 AM (kpS4V)
----------

My first thought on seeing it was that it looked like it was written by you.

Posted by: bluebell at May 04, 2025 09:46 AM (79pEw)

83 @66 --

Yes, I think you had the first mention. I remember chiming in afterward.

I had the first several issues of The Maze Agency, but I think I disposed of them somehow to free space for other books. Wish I could remember how.

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 04, 2025 09:46 AM (p/isN)

84 Harry might be a shallow retard, but he's bragged of killing jihadis, and even if he didn't, he shows up in court regularly to FIGHT! the British Surrenderocracy.
Posted by: Auspex at May 04, 2025 09:42 AM (j4U/Z)

The killing jihadis thing happened before Meghan emasculated him and he started crying with Oprah.

Posted by: Dr. T at May 04, 2025 09:47 AM (lHPJf)

85 It's amazing to me that there are good, solid, tax-paying family people who can function in this material plane yet also believe in lizard Royals, Antarctic Nazis, and concave cosmology.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:47 AM (kpS4V)

86 All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes

Mack Reynolds Section G United Planets stories are a lot of fun. Very subversive for a socialist author.

He has some other good tales to read once, like Galactic Medal of Honor, Not your Heinleinesque author.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 09:48 AM (u82oZ)

87 A few more comments on "The Maze Agency" comic. The title was written by (and created by and owned by) Mike Barr. He's written for Batman and other DC characters, but I don't think I've read his other work. Anyways, it's clear he loooooooves the mystery genre, and a few of the stories go deep into his personal interests. It looks like Barr writes the entire series. For the first few issues, the penciler is a young Adam Hughes, who is really good. He would eventually become known for his pin-up/cover illustrations, but he does good sequential work. He keeps things classy, but he never misses a chance to show off how good the main character looks. Rick Magyar is the inker, who does classic comic-book style inking. I've also read some of Rick's later work on other books. The colorist is Julia Lacquement, and I don't know what became of her. The coloring is good, though. the late 80's/early90's were peak comic book coloring. Just cell-shading, without a bunch of digital flourishes or effects...But they had enough colors available to make things look realistic, instead of too garish, and they let the linework take care of the shading and texturing.

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 09:49 AM (Lhaco)

88 I need to add more G.K. Chesterton to my library. I got hooked on Greene for a bit, but Chesterton is very relevant.

Brain Lock is my daytime book - can't handle it at bed time, so I'm re-reading Heart of Darkness to relax at the end of the day.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:49 AM (ZOv7s)

89 dantesed, I think the carbon dating in 1998 was questionable- apparently they were very secretive about the raw data.

New x-ray method of dating linen was done in 2022 and it says it's around 2000 years old.

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:51 AM (dE3DB)

90 Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 09:33 AM (yTvNw)

I got a Kindle compilation of his works and it has been disappointing. About every third book has a new title, but the contents are (clearly incorrectly) a repeat of the previous book. I guess I will have to note which ones aren't really there and see if I can find them elsewhere.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 09:51 AM (lFFaq)

91 Several injured at Ben Gurion Airport after missile launched from Yemen not intercepted
Air defense systems activated in response to missile attack launched from Yemen. Sirens activated in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and much of central Israel.
Israel National News
Published: May 4, 2025 at 9:29 AM (GMT+3)
====
It will be an eventful week.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 04, 2025 09:52 AM (RIvkX)

92 Gah, the comment cut me off... The Maze Agency. It starts off with a great art team. Unfortunately, it looks like after issue 8 or so, only the writer will remain the same. Hopefully the replacement artists are good. But I haven't read that far yet. At least the writing should sat consistent...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 09:52 AM (Lhaco)

93 It's been another week of hobby-related reading: drawing, whittling, and baking cook books. All interspersed with actual drawing, whittling and baking. Just a wonderful way to spend time.

There may be other reasons but as I spend more time with hobbies and reading good quality literature, my blood pressure has improved to the point I am off the pills dealing with it. As I don't care about whatever popular fiction is being pushed by the New York Times and fashionable trends and limit most recent history, news and current events, the quiet lets me appreciate things that soothe the soul and bring enchantment to life. There has to be a connection, and a lesson, in this.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 09:52 AM (yTvNw)

94 85 It's amazing to me that there are good, solid, tax-paying family people who can function in this material plane yet also believe in lizard Royals, Antarctic Nazis, and concave cosmology.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:47 AM (kpS4V
After decades and decades, perhaps hundreds, of years of erasing (attempting to anyway) GOD, shaitan media has generated new ‘beliefs’ for some to dedicate their lives to.

Posted by: Eromero at May 04, 2025 09:53 AM (LHPAg)

95 Castle Guy, do you know of the Grand Comics Database?

comics.org

Posted by: Weak Geek at May 04, 2025 09:53 AM (p/isN)

96 It's amazing to me that there are good, solid, tax-paying family people who can function in this material plane yet also believe in robot birds, lizard Royals, Antarctic Nazis, and concave cosmology.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:47 AM (kpS4V)

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 04, 2025 09:53 AM (RIvkX)

97 my blood pressure has improved to the point I am off the pills dealing with it.

--

JTB that's wonderful!

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport at May 04, 2025 09:54 AM (dE3DB)

98 After finishing M.M. Kaye's mystery "Death in Kashmir" - I went and pulled another mystery of hers that I have on the shelf: "Death in the Andamans" and finished the latter book last night. It's OK, but very, very talky, and in POV it hops from person to person. I think if it had been edited a little more, it would have been a brisker read. In both books, the murderer was someone who had been "on state" for all of the book, but very cunningly revealed. For "Death in Kashmir" I think that a few more hints as to the murderers Commie sympathies would have played a bit more fair with the reader.
My .02...

Posted by: Sgt. Mom at May 04, 2025 09:55 AM (Ew3fm)

99 Looking it up, apparently it's from So Your Son is a Century by Obvious Plant.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 09:42 AM (lFFaq)

So Your Son's a *Centaur*, stupid AutoCucumber.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 09:56 AM (lFFaq)

100 The one issue about the Shroud of Turin that I have never seen addressed is this: How can a shroud wrapped around or draped over a 3-dimensional object be imprinted with an undistorted 2-dimensional image of that object?

If the image had been transferred from a body that the Shroud had been draped over, one would expect the image to show not just the front, but also both sides of the head and body facing outward, as if the body had been spatchcocked like a chicken.

Posted by: Toad-0 at May 04, 2025 09:56 AM (cct0t)

101 There may be other reasons but as I spend more time with hobbies and reading good quality literature, my blood pressure has improved to the point I am off the pills dealing with it. . . .
Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025

***
Great news! (I dare to suggest that the relaxation afforded by occasional pipe smoking might have something to do with it. . . .)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:56 AM (omVj0)

102 Been reading operations manuals and standards books all week. Work is sort of slow so I'm shooting for certificates in pc board repair/rework and QC certs on components. I wish they would let me take the books home but most are proprietary and nobody can. They are kind of protective about this AI stuff.
Pretty cool to have a chance to do something that I've never done as a new career path at 55 and get paid to read up on it.

Posted by: Reforger at May 04, 2025 09:56 AM (xcIvR)

103 After decades and decades, perhaps hundreds, of years of erasing (attempting to anyway) GOD, shaitan media has generated new ‘beliefs’ for some to dedicate their lives to.
Posted by: Eromero at May 04, 2025 09:53 AM (LHPAg)
---
The collapse of institutional authority along with the internet are facilitating this. Once you learn about one official lie, and then another, it is easy to just go full tin-foil hat.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:57 AM (ZOv7s)

104 good morning Perfessor, Horde

Posted by: callsign claymore at May 04, 2025 09:57 AM (w+dhY)

105 Read two good books this week:

"Isola" by Allegra Goodman - Set in the 15th Century. When Marguerite, from a wealthy family, is orphaned, her guardian blows through her inheritance, then insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated, with only her nurse for company, she is befriended by her guardian's young secretary and the two begin a clandestine relationship aboard ship. Her guardian discovers this and abandons the three on a small island in the St. Lawrence. It's a tale of wilderness survival, escape, and justice served. Based on a true story.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:58 AM (kpS4V)

106 Looking it up, apparently it's from So Your Son is a Century by Obvious Plant.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025
*
So Your Son's a *Centaur*, stupid AutoCucumber.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025

***
Would have been fun if the son in question had turned out to identify as a Buick. . . .

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:58 AM (omVj0)

107 39
A couple steampunk anthologies. I know steampunk is so 2010's and played out, but I still like it.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 09:20 AM (kpS4V)

There was a time I tried to get into Steampunk, but the books I chose ended up being horrible. Either deconstructivist lets-turn-hero-archetypes-into-despicable-people or just an excuse to be vulgar and indulge in fetishes...The setting/idea was barely even part of the story. I really picked the wrong books...Maybe someday I'll try again, but, eh...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 09:58 AM (Lhaco)

108 90 ... Polliwog,
The Kindle edition of George MacDonald's writing I use is the Delphi version, $2.99. I haven't had any of the problems you mentioned with it.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 09:59 AM (yTvNw)

109 There may be other reasons but as I spend more time with hobbies and reading good quality literature, my blood pressure has improved to the point I am off the pills dealing with it. As I don't care about whatever popular fiction is being pushed by the New York Times and fashionable trends and limit most recent history, news and current events, the quiet lets me appreciate things that soothe the soul and bring enchantment to life. There has to be a connection, and a lesson, in this.
Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 09:52 AM (yTvNw)
---
Very much so. All media, right or left, is now just clickbait outrage machines.

In small quantities, it can be amusing, viewed as something out of Waugh's satires, but one must never take it too seriously.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:59 AM (ZOv7s)

110 There was a time I tried to get into Steampunk, but the books I chose ended up being horrible. Either deconstructivist lets-turn-hero-archetypes-into-despicable-people or just an excuse to be vulgar and indulge in fetishes...The setting/idea was barely even part of the story. I really picked the wrong books...Maybe someday I'll try again, but, eh...
Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025

***
I like the *idea* of steampunk (maybe I'm being influenced by memories of The Wild Wild West TV series), but I would have no idea where to start reading in the genre.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 10:00 AM (omVj0)

111 Speaking of Long Live Death, I gave Mr sinmi a copy, and he frequently makes comments out of it. We toured several Spanish Civil War sites in and around Barcelona (fair exchange for my dragging him to NASS annual sundial conference, this year in Ottawa!), and he is super pleased with LLD's objectivity, correctness, and readability.

Posted by: sinmi at May 04, 2025 10:01 AM (/30kX)

112 "Cemetery Girl" by David Bell, about how the disappearance of their twelve-year-old daughter Caitlin tears a couple apart. Caitlin's reappearance four years later, a sullen dirty teen who refuses to testify against her abductor, drives the father to investigate further.

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at May 04, 2025 10:02 AM (kpS4V)

113 I like the *idea* of steampunk (maybe I'm being influenced by memories of The Wild Wild West TV series), but I would have no idea where to start reading in the genre.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 10:00 AM (omVj0)
---
The reality of steampunk can be found in 1920s China, the Russian Civil War, and the Spanish Civil War.

By that I mean all manner of oddball weapons and vehicles kludged together and wielded by guys in full-length leather coats operating under assumed names.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 10:02 AM (ZOv7s)

114 I need to add more G.K. Chesterton to my library. I got hooked on Greene for a bit, but Chesterton is very relevant.

Brain Lock is my daytime book - can't handle it at bed time, so I'm re-reading Heart of Darkness to relax at the end of the day.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd

Which reminds me, there are two people who Alan Burns worked with in Africa during the war; Graham Greene and Ian Fleming. Fleming came up with a plan to steal a German U Boat supply ship, which was accomplished successfully.

Posted by: Thomas Paine at May 04, 2025 10:03 AM (lTGtQ)

115 "...the quiet lets me appreciate things that soothe the soul and bring enchantment to life. There has to be a connection, and a lesson, in this.
Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 09:52 AM"

Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flows the wellspring of life.

Posted by: Proverbs 4:23 at May 04, 2025 10:04 AM (dg+HA)

116 I know i mentioned the comic series earlier on this thread. During the Sniffle Scare I heard about Mike Barr's tribute to and crossover with the Ellery Queen character, and I had to have that. Ordered it from eBay. They draw Ellery (including pipe!) and his father the Inspector very well, the plot feels like a solid EQ mystery, and the final scene echoes the ending of the EQ serial killer story Cat of Many Tails, to good effect. I'm glad I bought it.

This was issue 9, "The English Channeler Mystery."
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:36 AM (omVj0)

Ah, okay, maybe it was you then. It looks like issue 9 is one of the ones I have.

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 10:04 AM (Lhaco)

117 Re royalty Italy needs her Royals back. The additional ceremonial splendor would be wonderful. The current heir and his daughter are movie star quality. Fix what the commies stole post ww2. Japan keeps their royals but the Savoias out after they switch to the allies at great risk!

Posted by: TG Sam at May 04, 2025 10:04 AM (ud9p9)

118 Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:49 AM (ZOv7s)

I was deeply disappointed to find that Chesterton was a proud antisemite. It definitely colors how I view his other works.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 10:04 AM (lFFaq)

119 A few more comments on "The Maze Agency" comic. The title was written by (and created by and owned by) Mike Barr. He's written for Batman and other DC characters, but I don't think I've read his other work. Anyways, it's clear he loooooooves the mystery genre,

----
Funny you should mention that. I just got his latest crowdfunded comic " Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan" in the mail this week. It's Sherlock Holmes meets 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It didn't meet the crowdfunding goal, but Mike Barron decided to publish it anyway so as to not screw over the folks that did back it, like me.

Posted by: Josephistan at May 04, 2025 10:05 AM (GM3CZ)

120 Speaking of Long Live Death, I gave Mr sinmi a copy, and he frequently makes comments out of it. We toured several Spanish Civil War sites in and around Barcelona (fair exchange for my dragging him to NASS annual sundial conference, this year in Ottawa!), and he is super pleased with LLD's objectivity, correctness, and readability.
Posted by: sinmi at May 04, 2025 10:01 AM (/30kX)
---
I'm glad he enjoys it!

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 10:05 AM (ZOv7s)

121 Not into steampunk myself, but didn't the Vandermeers do a big anthology of steampunk? Something along the lines of what they did with their anthology of time travel stories and the excellent collection of strange/horror stories THE WEIRD? Just skimming the table of contents would probably give you a good idea of where to start reading.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025 10:05 AM (q3u5l)

122 "Fleming came up with a plan to steal a German U Boat supply ship, which was accomplished successfully."

What am I, chopped liver?

Posted by: Operation Mincemeat at May 04, 2025 10:06 AM (dg+HA)

123 I went to the Amazon link for MAGA Marketing Secrets and it was $9.97.

It's free with Kindle Unlimited.

I think the $4.99 for Long Live Death is a bargain.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 04, 2025 10:06 AM (ZmEVT)

124 Searching for _The Goose Girl by Bros Grimm_

Led me down a rabbit hole.

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/

Another source for free public domain
books.

Posted by: 13times at May 04, 2025 10:07 AM (OIrk/)

125 I like the *idea* of steampunk (maybe I'm being influenced by memories of The Wild Wild West TV series), but I would have no idea where to start reading in the genre.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

Same here. I may be one of the few people who enjoyed The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie.

Posted by: Thomas Paine at May 04, 2025 10:08 AM (lTGtQ)

126 71 Issue 9 of "The Maze Agency" was to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ellery Queen -- who debuted in 1929; so it must have come out in 1989.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 09:39 AM (omVj0)

A quick check of the inside cover..."February 1990 issue." So it was definitely written and drawn in '89. And comic had just changed publishers, so it was probably meant to come out in '89, but got delayed by outside events.

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 10:08 AM (Lhaco)

127 After Something in the Fall, a good SF series by John Von Stry, I went in another direction.

The local library trash-canned Maverick Genius: The Pioneering Odyssey of Freeman Dyson by Phillip F. Schewe, I rescued it at a book sale. I can see why the library got rid of it. His thinking was well ahead of his time, and he has been vindicated on his ideas on climate change.

Freeman Dyson has been influential in many fields over his long and legendary career, including quantum physics, national defense, space, and religion. In this definitive biography, author Schewe examines the life of one of the most innovative thinkers of our time. (From Amazon).

We see Dyson the man, scientist, mathematician, and deep thinker. He focused on possible futures and life as good for the Universe. I highly recommend this book.

He lived to 2020, and was on one awards platform with Elon Musk, saying Elon was the real deal for cheap space travel. Dyson worked on Project Orion, so he really likes SpaceX.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:08 AM (u82oZ)

128 OK, folks, I guess I'll make another cup of tea and read.

I dislike asking, but if any of you can spare a prayer that I find my phone, it would be appreciated.

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing (aka Eloquent Depression) at May 04, 2025 10:09 AM (Dg2sF)

129 Chesterton a "proud anti-Semite"?

He may not have liked Jews but he wanted to see them given their own homeland in the Middle East. He also criticized Nazi brutality towards them. Since he died in 1936 he didn't live to see the full horror of it.

Posted by: Annalucia at May 04, 2025 10:09 AM (4RPgu)

130 Funny you should mention that. I just got his latest crowdfunded comic " Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan" in the mail this week. It's Sherlock Holmes meets 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It didn't meet the crowdfunding goal, but Mike Barron decided to publish it anyway so as to not screw over the folks that did back it, like me.
Posted by: Josephistan at May 04, 2025

***
Barr is still around? Does he have a website? I'd love to send him a note applauding his EQ tribute.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 10:10 AM (omVj0)

131 I was deeply disappointed to find that Chesterton was a proud antisemite. It definitely colors how I view his other works.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 10:04 AM (lFFaq)
---
In what I've read so far, I haven't noticed anything particularly overt. Like Waugh, he will take shots at Jews, but he takes shots at everyone.

As someone falsely accused of being an anti-semite merely for accurately summarizing David Horowitz, I am cautious about making such judgements.

By the way, Horowitz died last week. Radical Son is a must-read, every bit as relevant now as when it was written.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 10:10 AM (ZOv7s)

132 101 ... "Great news! (I dare to suggest that the relaxation afforded by occasional pipe smoking might have something to do with it. . . .)"

Good morning Wolfus,
Yep! I believe the attitude that let's me appreciate pipe smoking is reflected in reading, hobbies and approach to life.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 10:12 AM (yTvNw)

133 95 Castle Guy, do you know of the Grand Comics Database?

comics.org
Posted by: Weak Geek at May 04, 2025 09:53 AM (p/isN)

Don't think I've visited the site before.

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 10:13 AM (Lhaco)

134 I'm still working my way through Brideshead Revisited and enjoying it very much. I'm a little bit sorry that the first time I picked it up, I didn't push through a little bit farther into the story. I had first looked upon it as a piece of literature that I "should" read but now it's become a book I look forward to spending time with.

I've given up on my goal of reading a book a week. It was foolish and simply not possible at this stage of my life.

Posted by: KatieFloyd at May 04, 2025 10:13 AM (iaIak)

135 Posted by: Annalucia at May 04, 2025 10:09 AM (4RPgu)

He mentioned it several times in his book of essays about visiting the US. If it was someone else saying it about him I wouldn't have believed them. Didn't have much choice when he said it himself though.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 10:14 AM (lFFaq)

136 I had first looked upon it as a piece of literature that I "should" read but now it's become a book I look forward to spending time with.

Posted by: KatieFloyd at May 04, 2025 10:13 AM (iaIak)
---
It can be read as a harrowing account of family dysfunction but it is really a conversion story. I think most people miss that.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 10:14 AM (ZOv7s)

137 BTW who are these people who make such interesting finds on Gutenberg's "Random" selection? All I seem to get are Finnish books - I assume they're Finnish, given the number of double vowels and umlauts.

Husband and self have just begun the new Russell Shorto book, "Taking Manhattan" - how Dutch New Amsterdam morphed into English New York. Being a New Yorker by birth (and finding out that I have some remote Dutch ancestry from the New Amsterdam period - VERY remote, obviously) I love to read about it.

And for those who want to tell me what a cesspit New York is - I know. My New York is still from the late 1950s and 60s, before the World Trade Center ever went up, and when Manhattan was plenty grubby in places but normal people could still live there.

Posted by: Annalucia at May 04, 2025 10:15 AM (4RPgu)

138 IIRC Edward when he was still just a prince was besotted by a woman in Paris during the Great War and wrote some indiscreet letters. And for years was trying to get those letters back.

So he never learned when he met Wallis Simpson.

Posted by: Anna Puma at May 04, 2025 10:16 AM (BlJUs)

139 Well, time to get ready for Mass. Thanks again, Perfesser!

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 10:17 AM (ZOv7s)

140 After that, I also picked up the SF series Spirit Of Empire.

Below average SF space opera. With that UK crowd pleaser, a Scots-American Indian hero, and a woman who is the head of an impressive stellar empire. Despite being from different parts of the galaxy, they can mate and children are viable! Inconceivable.

What if the top leader of a civilization could find out truth, loyalty, and corruption of leaders she chose? This is the premise. But bad things happen, even to good civilizations.

This is the story of how plucky Terrans save the Galaxy, with a cast of galactic others. Lots of pages to hang a tale of the best of the best fighting evil others, including hostile aliens and humans.

The biology is very sketchy, but it's a story.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:17 AM (u82oZ)

141 Good morning fellow book morons.
Still reading Golden Boy, the second book in the Pierce Brown trilogy and still being surprised by the twists and turns. Just when you think Darrow, the heroic figure in the story has finally gotten the best of his enemies, he gets beaten to a pulp literally or figuratively and has to figure out a whole new strategy. A fun read which I should have finished except....

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 04, 2025 10:17 AM (t/2Uw)

142 117 “Re royalty Italy needs her Royals back.”

Fun fact: actor Rene Auberjonois, now deceased, was a prominent descendant of the King of Naples (one of them, at least) and his wife, Napoleon’s sister.

Posted by: Tom Servo at May 04, 2025 10:18 AM (3xZyM)

143 Woohoo!!!
The bookmobile is here!!!

Posted by: Diogenes at May 04, 2025 10:18 AM (W/lyH)

144 Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 10:10 AM (ZOv7s)

He said it himself, not the "proud" part, in his essays and used Ford's antisemitism as "proof" that it was the correct attitude.
I did also wonder if he would have been so pro-Irish if they weren't Catholic.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 10:19 AM (lFFaq)

145 I suspect the Shroud is a negative imprinted during the resurrection by Divine energy (for want of a better word).

. . .

Posted by: vmom deport deport deport

I think the latest on how the negative image.was created is that it was a 34 trillion watt, several millisecond blast of ultraviolet light, something that cannot be created by any known technology.

I've long thought that the image looks remarkably peaceful for a man who has just been killed in such a horrifically violent manner. It almost looks like a photo of a living person . . .

Your thought that the image was created at the moment of the Resurrection is the same thought I've had for long time.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 10:19 AM (/RHNq)

146 And for those who want to tell me what a cesspit New York is - I know. My New York is still from the late 1950s and 60s, before the World Trade Center ever went up, and when Manhattan was plenty grubby in places but normal people could still live there.
Posted by: Annalucia at May 04, 2025

***
I visited NYC in Oct. 1998 and liked what I saw, but I knew I could never afford to live there. My vision of it, too, is from the 1930s to 1960s, the portraits of it featured in Ellery Queen and Rex Stout, Rosemary's Baby, and light comedy/drama like The Apartment.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 10:19 AM (omVj0)

147 Jeff Vandermeer.

Steampunk is an anthology of steampunk fiction edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, and published by Tachyon Publications. It was nominated in 2009 for a World Fantasy Award.

Posted by: 13times at May 04, 2025 10:21 AM (OIrk/)

148 Fun fact: actor Rene Auberjonois, now deceased, was a prominent descendant of the King of Naples (one of them, at least) and his wife, Napoleon’s sister.
Posted by: Tom Servo at May 04, 2025 10:18 AM (3xZyM)

It's amazing how distinctive his face was.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 10:21 AM (lFFaq)

149 The King is leaving Buckingham Palace
It's all too cold, he'd rather have Wallis
They're part of the scene of life between the wars
Part of the scene of life between the wars

- Al Stewart, Life Between the Wars

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 10:22 AM (L/fGl)

150 When I say Billy Wilder's The Apartment is a "light comedy/drama," I mean in comparison to grim film noir or stories of juvenile delinquency.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 10:22 AM (omVj0)

151 103
The collapse of institutional authority along with the internet are facilitating this. Once you learn about one official lie, and then another, it is easy to just go full tin-foil hat.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 09:57 AM (ZOv7s)

Also, I wouldn't discount the possibility that some stuff is just people having fun and playing along on the internet. Every now and then I check in on WWE (pro wrestling) and they are currently pretending that an (obviously fake) luchador from the golden age has turned to the ring. Every youtube clip of the wrestler (El Grande Americano) is followed by a multitude of comments praising Americano and talking about how inspiring he used to be. No one--not even the most naive of fans--actually believes anything about this character who just appeared last month, but they are posting about it anyway...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 10:23 AM (Lhaco)

152 I seem to remember that the team in the 90's was actually out to disprove the shroud using modern technology. They were 100% biased towards it being fake.

Posted by: Reforger at May 04, 2025 10:23 AM (xcIvR)

153 Anna Puma

Prince Edward did OK in the First World War. But he was not the same after using his social status for Elon Musk purposes.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:24 AM (u82oZ)

154 105 ... ""Isola" by Allegra Goodman - Set in the 15th Century. When Marguerite, from a wealthy family, is orphaned, her guardian blows through her inheritance, then insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. Isolated, with only her nurse for company, she is befriended by her guardian's young secretary and the two begin a clandestine relationship aboard ship. Her guardian discovers this and abandons the three on a small island in the St. Lawrence. It's a tale of wilderness survival, escape, and justice served. Based on a true story."

AHE,

Thanks for the heads up about the book. Given my family background, I'm interested in the place and time. Wonder how it will compare to the 17th and 18th century accounts of the frontier I've read.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 10:25 AM (yTvNw)

155 I enjoyed Brideshead Revisited.

Ann Barnhardt says that Waugh's "Helena" is his greatest work.

I must read it.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 04, 2025 10:25 AM (ZmEVT)

156 By the way, Horowitz died last week. Radical Son is a must-read, every bit as relevant now as when it was written.
Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd

One of my all time favorite books.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 10:26 AM (L/fGl)

157 " But he was not the same after using his social status for Elon Musk purposes."

18 children from 18 different women? All quite well renumerated?

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 04, 2025 10:27 AM (ZmEVT)

158 I discovered Spenser For Hire, the old TV series with Robert Urich as Spenser and Avery Brooks as Hawk. Brilliant casting of Urich. He is thre perfect literate thug. Only watched a couple of episodes so far so Hawk is not his wingman yet but his persona is emerging. Not crazy about Barbara Stock as Susan Silverman but she is not the college educated Psychologist yet so seems less classy than I pictured her.
Robert Parker was part of this and it shows in the dialog and story telling. I will now picture Urich when I read the books, the almost handsome, playful, ex prize fighter with a moral code with exceptions when justice needs to be meted out.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 04, 2025 10:27 AM (t/2Uw)

159 It's amazing how distinctive his face was.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 10:21 AM (lFFaq)
====

I'm on season 2 of Deep Space Nine and I do wonder why they obscured him that way. He didn't want to be type-cast?

Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 04, 2025 10:27 AM (RIvkX)

160 129 Chesterton a "proud anti-Semite"?

He may not have liked Jews but he wanted to see them given their own homeland in the Middle East. He also criticized Nazi brutality towards them. Since he died in 1936 he didn't live to see the full horror of it.
Posted by: Annalucia at May 04, 2025 10:09 AM (4RPgu)”

It’s difficult for us to understand now that casual (but not bitter) antisemitism was the default upper class British view for the last several hundred years; it’s a big reason that Disraeli, even though he professed to be a Christian, was always scorned by much of the upper classes.
It’s always risky for us to try to judge people outside of their times.

Posted by: Tom Servo at May 04, 2025 10:28 AM (3xZyM)

161 Pandora star plot very similar to Amazon season 1 of the expanse....

Posted by: Hmmmm at May 04, 2025 10:28 AM (YrUlT)

162 Funny you should mention that. I just got his latest crowdfunded comic " Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan" in the mail this week. It's Sherlock Holmes meets 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It didn't meet the crowdfunding goal, but Mike Barron decided to publish it anyway so as to not screw over the folks that did back it, like me.
Posted by: Josephistan at May 04, 2025 10:05 AM (GM3CZ)

Hm. Was it any good? Those types of projects can be very hit or miss.

I may have seen that project, but I've grown jaded to those sorts of random crossovers, or to randomly mixed genres. Give me straight genre fiction, with as few gimmicks as possible.

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 10:29 AM (Lhaco)

163 Because hes supposed to be an alien policeman

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at May 04, 2025 10:30 AM (bXbFr)

164 Had to go to NYC for some IBM training a few months before 9/11. Didn't get a huge amount of time for anything else, but was surprised by how cheaply you could eat if you wanted to. Seemed like every corner had a vendor's cart -- fresh fruit, bagels, etc. The Sbarro's a few blocks from the hotel had decent food pretty cheap. My most expensive daily meal was coffee and croissant for breakfast at the Starbucks across from the offices where the training was held. I brought change from the meal allowance back to the college.

Just wish I'd been able to spend more time hitting bookstores.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025 10:31 AM (q3u5l)

165 Yes thats what the ministry of ungentlemanly wsrfare is about

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at May 04, 2025 10:34 AM (bXbFr)

166 The u boat plot

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at May 04, 2025 10:34 AM (bXbFr)

167 I'm on season 2 of Deep Space Nine and I do wonder why they obscured him that way. He didn't want to be type-cast?
Posted by: San Franpsycho at May 04, 2025 10:27 AM (RIvkX)

Odo is an uninitiated changeling.

Garak.

"A Stitch in Time is a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel written by Andrew Robinson. The novel originated from a biography of Cardassian Elim Garak"

Posted by: 13times at May 04, 2025 10:34 AM (OIrk/)

168 142 117 “Re royalty Italy needs her Royals back.”

Fun fact: actor Rene Auberjonois, now deceased, was a prominent descendant of the King of Naples (one of them, at least) and his wife, Napoleon’s sister.
Posted by: Tom Servo at May 04, 2025 10:18 AM (3xZyM)

That was Odo from Deep Space 9, right? Okay, between him and the (young) King of Jordan getting a walk-on roll of Voyager, Star Trek really has quite the royal pedigree!

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 10:35 AM (Lhaco)

169 Robinson who was the killer in dirty harry always that distinctive mannerism no matter what role he was in

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at May 04, 2025 10:37 AM (bXbFr)

170 It's amazing to me that there are good, solid, tax-paying family people who can function in this material plane yet also believe in lizard Royals, Antarctic Nazis, and concave cosmology.
Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes

I believe Joe Biden is a reptilian from the planet Sleazebag.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 10:37 AM (L/fGl)

171 Alexander siddig was the great grandson of the mahdi

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at May 04, 2025 10:38 AM (bXbFr)

172 Posted by: Dr. T at May 04, 2025 09:09 AM (lHPJf)

He must've had some deep character flaws that were obvious from a very young age for his father, in particular, to worry about abouy him. It can't have just been his affair; his father's mistress was Camilla's gg(g?)grandmother, so the man was no saint himself in that department.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 04, 2025 10:38 AM (Vvh2V)

173 Castle Guy

[iThe Forever Engine by Frank Chadwick is excellent steam-punk SF.

Frank Chadwick also designed two of my favorite games En Garde!, a RPG, and Imperium.

Never got into Traveler.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:38 AM (u82oZ)

174 Italy was too fragmented for there to be a King of Italy.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 04, 2025 10:39 AM (ZmEVT)

175 Joe Biden is a bad Catholic from the sleazeworld Scranton.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 04, 2025 10:41 AM (ZmEVT)

176 Dr bashir also a version of ras al ghoul

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at May 04, 2025 10:42 AM (bXbFr)

177 no one of any consequence

Well, no kids, but a lot of womanizing.
I think Elon has 14 kids, been married three times, and two ex-wives. And others.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:42 AM (u82oZ)

178 Musk resembles ben bovas daniel hamilton randolph the devil may care space mogul of privateers

Posted by: Miguel cervantes at May 04, 2025 10:43 AM (bXbFr)

179 Was it any good? Those types of projects can be very hit or miss.

*****

There is a series of books based on Jane Austen being a gawt damned vampire. Came highly recommended to me by someone I know from the perfume world, who had read and enjoyed many of the same books I did, so I bought the series. Big mistake.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 04, 2025 10:44 AM (Vvh2V)

180 Someone up thread mentioned Daniel Pinkwater. I read his book "Uncle Boris in the Yukon" two years ago and really liked it. I think that, just like they say about acting, tragedy is easy, comedy is hard; but Daniel Pinkwater is one who can pull it off.

Posted by: who knew at May 04, 2025 10:46 AM (+ViXu)

181 Shortly before the Spenser series first came out, Urich didn't strike some of the gang at the bookstore as being right for the part. Parker was in town promoting the new book (Catskill Eagle, I think), and he said that he'd seen the pilot film -- this was just a little while before it aired -- and that Urich was a lot better in the part than expected. And he was. In some of the later tv movies, Joe Mantegna wasn't bad either. There is no other Hawk than Avery Brooks.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025 10:47 AM (q3u5l)

182 I'm convinced that the Shroud of Turin is the burial shroud of Christ.

Matt Fradd over at Pints with Aquinas recently did an interview with a Catholic priest who is an expert in the field, and who described the latest revelations about the Shroud. It's a long interview with a huge amount of interesting new information, so well worth the investment of time:

https://tinyurl.com/Pints-with-Aq-Shroud
Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 09:30 AM (/RHNq)

Catholics have always been fond of worshipping religious relics. They'll authenticate anything that they can use to distract the masses from finding faith in the unseen.

Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at May 04, 2025 10:47 AM (g8Ew8)

183 Hey Sharkman!

I just started "The Great North Road".

Judging by what you've said about what you like about Hamilton (that I agree with!), you're gonna love it.

Posted by: pawn at May 04, 2025 10:48 AM (QB+5g)

184 Posted by: Annalucia at May 04, 2025 10:09 AM (4RPgu)

Chesterton was indeed an anti-Semite.

He advocated that Jews in Great Britain be made to wear distinctive clothing. He often suggested that British Jews were disloyal.

He also fought for years against the exoneration of Alfred Dreyfus.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at May 04, 2025 10:48 AM (mWSu4)

185 Well, there's my new word of the day:

mor·ga·nat·ic /ˌmôrɡəˈnadik/

relating to or denoting a marriage in which neither the spouse of lower rank, nor any children, have any claim to the possessions or title of the spouse of higher rank.

Posted by: Ronzoni at May 04, 2025 10:49 AM (tof4A)

186 I don't know whether you'd call it a crossover, but Tim Powers' My Brothers Keeper is, in my opinion, his best book in years. It features a variation on werewolves and the Bronte sisters.

The book maintains a dark, brooding, atmospheric tone throughout, and is very well done.

Posted by: Splunge at May 04, 2025 10:50 AM (ju/6W)

187 I made the mistake of loaning Long Live Death to my brother, another history buff, and it never made it back....

So, I had to buy another copy for myself.

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at May 04, 2025 10:50 AM (VNX3d)

188 It can be read as a harrowing account of family dysfunction but it is really a conversion story. I think most people miss that.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd at May 04, 2025 10:14 AM (ZOv7s)

I haven't gotten to anything resembling conversion yet but had to smile at your comment. As I was settling into read the other night, I told my husband I was reading about some "other" family's dysfuction.

Posted by: KatieFloyd at May 04, 2025 10:51 AM (UujsY)

189 or just an excuse to be vulgar and indulge in fetishes

********

I am reduced to re-reading old favorites for the most part, because this seems to be the case with most fiction these days, not just steampunk. I only ever buy Moron authors without sampling first.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 04, 2025 10:52 AM (Vvh2V)

190 Trump as Pope is hilarious.

Posted by: Pudinhead at May 04, 2025 10:52 AM (ne3+i)

191 I didn't recognize the top photo but I only saw the frst three original Star Wars movies. However, the idea of a repository of physical books, and knowledge, hits home. Shades of Fahrenheit 451 and the library of Alexandria. Also the transitory nature, and being subject to manipulation, of digital media.

As I (slowly) organize my books, I'm dedicating one large book case to Tolkien, Lewis, Chesterton, MacDonald, and Malcolm Guite. I hope one case will be enough. Another will be dedicated to certain reference books like the OED, and pre-WW II editions of Webster's Dictionary and Roget's Thesaurus (before they were 'improved'), and classic literature, which includes a hardcover of The Complete Chronicles of Conan, a Two volume Sherlock Holmes, and the various Landmark histories by Strassler. It would include children's classics with original illustrations. The kind of books I thumb through for pleasure and knowledge.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 10:52 AM (yTvNw)

192 discovered Spenser For Hire, the old TV series with Robert Urich as Spenser and Avery Brooks as Hawk. Brilliant casting of Urich. He is thre perfect literate thug. Only watched a couple of episodes so far so Hawk is not his wingman yet but his persona is emerging. Not crazy about Barbara Stock as Susan Silverman but she is not the college educated Psychologist yet so seems less classy than I pictured her.
Robert Parker was part of this and it shows in the dialog and story telling. I will now picture Urich when I read the books, the almost handsome, playful, ex prize fighter with a moral code with exceptions when justice needs to be meted out.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 04, 2025

***
Sharon, it was the TV series that led me to the novels. Yes, Urich is my image of Spenser, and Avery Brooks (the same actor who was the lead in Deep Space Nine much later) makes Hawk come alive as well. You'd think no actor would be able to embody that character -- but he did it. None of the later adaptations (one or two with Joe Mantegna as an older Spenser) have come close to casting Hawk correctly.

(cont.)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 10:53 AM (omVj0)

193 Posted by: Splunge at May 04, 2025 10:50 AM (ju/6W)

Truly? Because I love the idea, but was massively disappointed in the Jane Austen vampire series.

The Bronte sisters' style does lend itself more to this type of thing, though...

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 04, 2025 10:55 AM (Vvh2V)

194 Just got back from reading up on the House of Savoy, the former Royal house of Italy.

What a mess. I always knew the House of Savoy was weak, but they are in no way prepared to be real Royals again.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:55 AM (u82oZ)

195 Time to go. Got chores.

Have a great week in reading, everyone.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:56 AM (u82oZ)

196 Looking it up, apparently it's from So Your Son is a Century by Obvious Plant.
Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 09:42 AM (lFFaq)

Other Books By This Author

The Beginner's Guide to Human Sacrifice

Posted by: Kindltot at May 04, 2025 10:56 AM (D7oie)

197 I've only seen the pilot and a few episodes so far, but when you see Urich at the gym or chasing a suspect, or the amusement when someone tries to take him on in a fight, he becomes Spenser. He also,does the cooking thing.
The chase scenes through Boston , having to use a pay phone, the cars, Boston Garden with Larry Bird, very nostalgic.
Free on Prime with short commercials.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 04, 2025 10:56 AM (t/2Uw)

198 Re: The Spenser: For Hire TV series' casting . . . Like Sharon, I'm not sure that Barbara Stock embodied Susan as completely as Urich and Brooks did Spenser and Hawk. But she is beautiful enough that you can see why Spenser would be crazy about her. They've cast other actresses who got the intellectual flavor of Susan, but have not been as attractive (to me, anyway).

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 10:59 AM (omVj0)

199 155 I enjoyed Brideshead Revisited.

Ann Barnhardt says that Waugh's "Helena" is his greatest work.

I must read it.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 04, 2025 10:25 AM (ZmEVT)

Thanks for the tip - I just ordered a copy. This could be the start of a Evelyn Waugh binge...

Posted by: KatieFloyd at May 04, 2025 10:59 AM (jrCHD)

200 173 [iThe Forever Engine by Frank Chadwick is excellent steam-punk SF.

Frank Chadwick also designed two of my favorite games En Garde!, a RPG, and Imperium.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at May 04, 2025 10:38 AM (u82oZ)

Started reading the description of the book, but I flinched when I saw it was an iseki; random guy from the real world sent to a fantasy world. I'm kinda over that trope...

Thinking about steampunk comics; long ago I bought a comic simply called "Steampunk." Threw it away because the art was god-awful and messy. "Lady Mechanica" is good, but it's not so much steampunk as it is sci-fi with a Victorian gloss. There's a crowd-funded comic called "Wordsmith" that has the look right, but the story was too saccharine for me to continue.

I guess the best I've come across is "Skies of Fire" (another crowd-funder) which might be more diesel-punk, but, it's about a zeppelin-battleship hunting down a pirate zeppelin! That's at least the vibe I look for...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 10:59 AM (Lhaco)

201 I thought the Shroud had been tested for carbon dating. But they only tested a small sample that the results were inconclusive.

Basically, those who tested it said "well, it's old".

Posted by: dantesed

The Shroud is woven from flax. It was damaged in a fire in 1532, and was repaired by having cotton material woven into the flax at the damaged spots.

The "scientists" who carbon-dated the Shroud in 1988 knowingly took their sample from ONLY a cotton-repaired spot, tested it, and immediately held a press conference to declare that the Shroud was "OMAGERD! A MEDIEVAL FORGERY!!"

Their effort was utter, knowing, evil "scientific" fraud of the worst kind.

Since then the flax has been tested and found to be 2000 years old.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 11:00 AM (/RHNq)

202 He also fought for years against the exoneration of Alfred Dreyfus.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo

I've been (slowly) reading Robert Harris' book An Officer and a Spy about the Dreyfus affair. It moves pretty slowly.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 11:01 AM (L/fGl)

203
182 I'm convinced that the Shroud of Turin is the burial shroud of Christ.”

A criticism of the Shroud is that as far as the official record, it seems to appear out of nowhere in 1354. But a possible provenance of ownership before that is that it was one of the relics recovered by Helena, Constantine’s mother, during her great trip to the region in the early 4th century. Before that, it would have been hidden by a group of believers who had managed to escape the total destruction of Judea after the Bar Kochba revolt.
There are rumors through the 1st millennium of some closely guarded relics that only the Imperial family in Byzantium were allowed to view; one was said to be a cloth in a chest with Christ’s face on it.
(Cont’d)

Posted by: Tom Servo at May 04, 2025 11:01 AM (3xZyM)

204 158 ... "I discovered Spenser For Hire, the old TV series with Robert Urich as Spenser and Avery Brooks as Hawk."

Sharon,
Glad you found the TV series. I really liked Urich in the role. He caught the combination of toughness, wry humor, and playfulness that made the character in the books so enjoyable. I read the books before the show was created and had no problem going from the books to Urich as Spenser.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 11:03 AM (yTvNw)

205 Was reading Spenser well before the series, and my image of Spenser was Parker himself. Check out the author photos on the back of some of those early dust jackets.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025 11:04 AM (q3u5l)

206 Other Books By This Author

The Beginner's Guide to Human Sacrifice
Posted by: Kindltot at May 04, 2025 10:56 AM (D7oie)

The thing I read gives the impression that Obvious Plant has had a number of those printed up and he puts them on bookstore shelves. I wonder how much that hobby costs him.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at May 04, 2025 11:04 AM (lFFaq)

207 Ah! It was Marcia Gay Harden who appeared as Susan Silverman in at least one of the A & E adaptations of a Spenser book, Walking Shadow, with Joe Mantegna. I knew the actress was one with three names.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:04 AM (omVj0)

208 Sharon,
How are your eyes coming along? Saw your comments on the last gun thread but things weren't fully settled yet.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 11:06 AM (yTvNw)

209 Currently, reading-

UBIK by Philip K Dick

A great SF novel that's a bit hard to summarize. Basically, it concerns a guy working in an anti-paranormal powers agency against a for hire paranormal agency. A bomb kills "someone", maybe. But, who is dead? There's a process called half-life where the dead can be accessed for a limited time but is failing on both sides of life/death. Perhaps the ubiquitous commercial product UBIK holds the answer.

Frankly, PKD had to be one hell of a great writer to produce stories this well-written and complex while all spun-up on methamphetamines and pixie dust and finishing his novels within 3 or so weeks while locked in a hotel room.

One downside, to reading older SF is that the "future" imagined in these books is so off-kilter to what we know of say the 1990's. But, eh...SF.

If this book sounds like it will appeal to you, it will.

Give it a whirl.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 04, 2025 11:06 AM (iJfKG)

210 193 Truly? Because I love the idea, but was massively disappointed in the Jane Austen vampire series.

The Bronte sisters' style does lend itself more to this type of thing, though...
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 04, 2025 10:55 AM (Vvh2V)

I've read it twice, and strongly recommend it. If you have not read Tim Powers before, he is really good, and then when he's "on," it gets into top 10 books territory for me.

Posted by: Splunge at May 04, 2025 11:06 AM (ju/6W)

211 Speaking of Robert Harris, his book Conclave is the basis for the current popular movie, which I didn't care for.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 11:07 AM (L/fGl)

212 I enjoyed Brideshead Revisited.

Ann Barnhardt says that Waugh's "Helena" is his greatest work.

I must read it.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 04, 2025 10:25 AM (ZmEVT)

I wouldn't say that.

His best is probably Brideshead or the Sword of Honor Trilogy.

But, it's Waugh, so still very good and pretty well written.

Posted by: naturalfake at May 04, 2025 11:09 AM (iJfKG)

213 By the way, Horowitz died last week. Radical Son is a must-read, every bit as relevant now as when it was written.

Posted by: Ace-Endorsed Author A.H. Lloyd

Damn.

RIP to a warrior for the truth about the Left.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 11:09 AM (/RHNq)

214 Possible Shroud history part 2: Constantinople was sacked and looted during the infamous 4th Crusade, which never got around to trying to fight Muslims. Many took part, including the Knights Templar. For the next century, the Templar’s grew rich and powerful, and their most secret rites were said to be sworn over a mysterious artifact in a chest, reputed to be very powerful. In 1312 Philip, King of France, decided to destroy them rather than repay his debt to them - but most of their wealth and their private holdings disappeared, as many Templars escaped Philips wrath by going underground and leaving the cities.
50 years later, an obscure Noble family in the French countryside let the local Bishop know that they had inherited this unusual artifact from their Uncle, now deceased, a Knight who had fought in the Crusades, they said. They invited the Bishop to inspect it, and that is where the official history begins.

Posted by: Tom Servo at May 04, 2025 11:10 AM (3xZyM)

215 There's Genteel antisemitism and Vulgar antisemitism.

The former control literature and academia and therefore write themselves out of the antisemitic timeline; their white kid gloves and detachable collars are scrubbed daily.

Posted by: 13times at May 04, 2025 11:10 AM (OIrk/)

216 I've only seen the pilot and a few episodes so far, but when you see Urich at the gym or chasing a suspect, or the amusement when someone tries to take him on in a fight, he becomes Spenser. He also,does the cooking thing.
The chase scenes through Boston , having to use a pay phone, the cars, Boston Garden with Larry Bird, very nostalgic.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 04, 2025 10:56 AM (t/2Uw)

I've never read the books - they're on my list, though - but used to watch the series. I grew up in Boston and was living out of state in the mid 80's. Those chase scenes were like postcards from home. I loved them!

Posted by: KatieFloyd at May 04, 2025 11:10 AM (iaIak)

217 Posted by: Splunge at May 04, 2025 10:50 AM (ju/6W)

I re-read the posting, and it was only free through April 29th. I bought it to support a fellow Moron, but you're not mistaken!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 04, 2025 11:11 AM (Vvh2V)

218 Steampunk?

Obligatory:

https://youtu.be/Nbq6Wfh9fi4

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at May 04, 2025 11:11 AM (Xkm2A)

219 >>>I'm not sure that Barbara Stock embodied Susan as completely as Urich and Brooks did Spenser and Hawk. But she is beautiful enough that you can see why Spenser would be crazy about her. They've cast other actresses who got the intellectual flavor of Susan, but have not been as attractive (to me, anyway).

Did you ever catch the episode of Seinfeld featuring Barbara Stock?

She played the "businesswoman" who picked up George on the subway, took him to a hotel where she handcuffed him to the bed and stole $8 in cash and his clothes.

Posted by: one hour sober at May 04, 2025 11:12 AM (Y1sOo)

220 Posted by: Splunge at May 04, 2025 11:06 AM (ju/6W)

Oh, that's a very strong recommendation! I'm desperate for a new to me author to obsess over, so thank you very much!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 04, 2025 11:13 AM (Vvh2V)

221 Did you ever catch the episode of Seinfeld featuring Barbara Stock?

She played the "businesswoman" who picked up George on the subway, took him to a hotel where she handcuffed him to the bed and stole $8 in cash and his clothes.
Posted by: one hour sober at May 04, 2025

***
Oh, yes, I thought of mentioning that, but thought I didn't have enough room in the comment box.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:14 AM (omVj0)

222 James Carville, ~~stand up~~ belly crawling comedian.

James Carville: Democrats can’t afford to lie like Republicans do because they would lose credibility.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 11:14 AM (L/fGl)

223 218 Steampunk?

Obligatory:

https://youtu.be/Nbq6Wfh9fi4
Posted by: RedMindBlueState at May 04, 2025 11:11 AM (Xkm2A)

Is that the 'glue some gears on it and call it steampunk' song?
(opens new tab)
Oh, no, it's something else. Hm...

Posted by: Castle Guy at May 04, 2025 11:14 AM (Lhaco)

224 I've never read the books - they're on my list, though - but used to watch the series. I grew up in Boston and was living out of state in the mid 80's. Those chase scenes were like postcards from home. I loved them!
Posted by: KatieFloyd at May 04, 2025

***
I suspect the show was expensive to film on location, and that may have been part of why it vanished after only three years.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:16 AM (omVj0)

225 I am now on book 33 in the Spenser series and although some are better than others still liking the characters, so stumbling on this series that only enhanced the books and didn't ruin them was a terrific find.
JTB, eyes are great except for really close up vision and fine print. I see the optometrist on 5/12 and assume readers will be necessary. Mid range is terrific so have been able to read books on my IPad but haven't attempted a paper book yet. Considering I have to hold my phone at arm's length I will need those readers.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 04, 2025 11:18 AM (t/2Uw)

226 Sharon, according to the IMDb listing for the Spenser TV series, the producers originally wanted Joe Mantegna to play Spenser -- they thought Urich was too young-looking.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:20 AM (omVj0)

227 Catholics have always been fond of worshipping religious relics. They'll authenticate anything that they can use to distract the masses from finding faith in the unseen.

Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons

We don't "worship" relics.

The Shroud is just about the most studied object in history, which is very well-documented.

Pethaps you should educate yourself about the Shroud as well as what Catholics believe and do before slinging casual religious bigotry on the blog.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 11:20 AM (/RHNq)

228 Would have liked to see Susan Strasberg in the Susan Silverman part myself. YMMV. For some reason, Urich always seemed just a smidgen too young but that was the only quibble I had. Enjoyed every episode.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025 11:21 AM (q3u5l)

229 Would have liked to see Susan Strasberg in the Susan Silverman part myself. YMMV. For some reason, Urich always seemed just a smidgen too young but that was the only quibble I had. Enjoyed every episode.
Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025

***
Susan Strasberg would have been great.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:22 AM (omVj0)

230 225 ... "eyes are great except for really close up vision and fine print. I see the optometrist on 5/12 and assume readers will be necessary."

So glad to learn you are pleased. I have reading glasses, mostly cheap ones, all over the place. Since I needed regular glasses for over 60 years, the idea of using the cheaters seems natural. But once I'm looking past 2 or 3 feet, things are so sharp. A year and a half later and I still am surprised at the sharpness and brighter colors.

Posted by: JTB at May 04, 2025 11:24 AM (yTvNw)

231 James Carville, stand up belly crawling comedian.

James Carville: Democrats can’t afford to lie like Republicans do because they would lose credibility.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 11:14 AM (L/fGl)

I get the impression people stopped paying Carville for some time, and he just sorta waited. Then when they lost spectacularly last year, someone came to him, waving hundred dollar bills through his trailer park.

So he's gonna be around for a while. Is his particular brand of Democrat bombast still effective? I guess we'll see.

Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:26 AM (stb/C)

232 Meghan Markle “Killed the Queen,” Megyn Kelly Alleges

-
She's a deep cover ninja.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 11:27 AM (L/fGl)

233 For those of you feeling like me a strong sense that things are going quite wrong at an accelerated level, I find a lot of solace in thinking about R A Lafferty's Past Master these days.

I think it is eerily prescient and brilliant.

Despite my recommendation and admiration for the book, I fo have to say that Lafferty is "not for everyone" in the sense that he is doing "his own thing" and that "thing" has almost no popular appeal.

Anyways, the book is Sci-fi and is the story of a future that brings Thomas More back to "save the day".

No one agrees what the problem is or why exactly it should be Thomas More. And Thomas is in the same situation.

Lafferty should probably be described as a "mannered" artist in the art-criticism technical sense. His style is an extreme combo of the middle-ages passion-play and Celtic Folklore with conspiracy theory thrown in.

And yes, that is completely preposterous to attempt.

He's also a cantakerous bastard and proud crank and drank himself to death.

But damn if that contrary S.O.B. didn't SEE THINGS.

People who know of Tolkein's concept "eucatastrophe" and "get it" might "dig it"

Posted by: Thesokorus at May 04, 2025 11:27 AM (z6Ybz)

234 So he's gonna be around for a while. Is his particular brand of Democrat bombast still effective? I guess we'll see.
Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:26 AM (stb/C)

Agreed. He was old and ignored, and suddenly in the chaos of Kamala’s implosion someone started paying attention to him again. He’ll say whatever he has to say to keep them coming back.

Posted by: Tom Servo at May 04, 2025 11:29 AM (3xZyM)

235 I'd missed that bit about Spenser's producers leaning toward Mantegna early on. Funny.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025 11:30 AM (q3u5l)

236 Carville has great comedic value.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at May 04, 2025 11:33 AM (RNmki)

237 I'd missed that bit about Spenser's producers leaning toward Mantegna early on. Funny.
Posted by: Just Some Guy at May 04, 2025

***
The Mantegna of those days would have made a solid choice too. When he plays Spenser in later TV-movies, he delivers Parker's lines beautifully.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:35 AM (omVj0)

238 Carville has great comedic value.
Posted by: Quarter Twenty at May 04, 2025 11:33 AM (RNmki)

This.

Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at May 04, 2025 11:35 AM (g8Ew8)

239 So slinging casual religious bigotry is frowned upon in this establishment?
Hunh.

Posted by: Casual religious bigot at May 04, 2025 11:36 AM (RNmki)

240 Carville has great comedic value.
Posted by: Quarter Twenty at May 04, 2025 11:33 AM (RNmki)

He's a hired gun. He knows how to shoot, where to shoot, and who to shoot at.

Unlike those clowns the party has been putting up for the past several years.

Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:38 AM (P8yIl)

241 Come to think of it, Parker was lucky several times over with the casting of films made from his books. Robert Urich and Avery Brooks as Spenser and Hawk, Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone (though Stone is written as a much younger man in the early entries in that book series), and Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson in the film Appaloosa.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:38 AM (omVj0)

242 I just started "The Great North Road".

Judging by what you've said about what you like about Hamilton (that I agree with!), you're gonna love it.

Posted by: pawn

Outstanding! Thanks for the rec.

Posted by: Sharkman at May 04, 2025 11:39 AM (/RHNq)

243 Meghan Markle “Killed the Queen,” Megyn Kelly Alleges

-
She's a deep cover ninja.
Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Elephants and Earthquakes! at May 04, 2025 11:27 AM (L/fGl)

I continue to think of Sparkle Markle, only in the sense I think she's a good looking woman, and I would like to bang her.

I can't think of anything else I should care about, about her.

Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:39 AM (P8yIl)

244 If anyone qualifies as lizard it's Schmuck Schumer.

Posted by: Elrond Hubbard at May 04, 2025 11:40 AM (VJc7E)

245 He's a hired gun. He knows how to shoot, where to shoot, and who to shoot at.

Unlike those clowns the party has been putting up for the past several years.
Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:38 AM (P8yIl)

He's in the same class as ol' Joe: An old man yelling at clouds.

Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at May 04, 2025 11:40 AM (g8Ew8)

246 'Bout time I headed off to do a few chores. Thanks to all for a solid Book Thread, always the highlight of my week on AoSHQ!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 04, 2025 11:42 AM (omVj0)

247 So slinging casual religious bigotry is frowned upon in this establishment?
Hunh.
Posted by: Casual religious bigot at May 04, 2025 11:36 AM (RNmki)

The problem with bigotry, is that it's become so common for people to throw out the word 'bigot" whenever someone says something they don't like, that actual bigotry, if and when it appears, gets overlooked.

Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:43 AM (ADCBN)

248 Reread - The Plague and I by Betty MacDonald.

Betty is a wonderful slice of Americana.

Posted by: 13times at May 04, 2025 11:44 AM (OIrk/)

249 Barbara Stock is a disappointment but she hasn't had much of a role in the ones I've watched so far. In the books, she is Spenser's sounding board. Parker uses their discussions to fill in how Spenser is going about solving the mystery. This is why books are always superior to TV. Th episode I watched last night ended with a 10 second reveal that left me with what just happened?
Never a TV fan, I discovered the Jesse Stone movies after reading Parker. I'll have to go looking for the Montegna ones.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at May 04, 2025 11:44 AM (t/2Uw)

250 He's a hired gun. He knows how to shoot, where to shoot, and who to shoot at.

Unlike those clowns the party has been putting up for the past several years.
Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:38 AM (P8yIl)

He's in the same class as ol' Joe: An old man yelling at clouds.
Posted by: Dr Pork Chops & Bacons at May 04, 2025 11:40 AM (g8Ew

Biden is genuinely senile. Carville is not.

People forget, Biden was good at this, back in his day.

Posted by: BurtTC at May 04, 2025 11:44 AM (ADCBN)

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