Review: CORE RULESET by Timothy Bryan

Release January 15, 2023

First off, let me start at the end, and shout THAT ENDING!!! THAT ENDING!!!
[NO! Do not turn immediately to the end to see what I mean!!] On the surface, CORE RULESET is a novel about a downtrodden "David" vs. a multitude of unstoppable "Goliaths," from overbuilt bullies, to snooty self-centered, to the "Big Billionaires" whose octopus corporations seem to control the economy. Author Timothy Bryan elicited my empathy for this "feckless hero," whose life seems doomed to rejection and repulsion at every turn, the "guy who just can't get a break." Next level is a story of Supernatural Villainy vs. Police Procedural, as individual after individual--some connected, most disparate--are struck down in unlikely but unstoppable ways, ensuring not only their imminent demise but also their punishment. Third level: what you think is happening is just the facade. Life-changing AND life-ending: but HOW? and WHY? and WHOM?

The classic confrontational Denouement of Law vs. Villain is startling and amazing, then Anticlimax, then THAT ENDING!! 5 Stars for Implacability!!!

WINTER RESPITE READATHON

February 2023

WINTER RESPITE:

1. ALL HALLOWS own new 5
2. NINTH HOUSE Reread own Mount TBR 5
3. HELL BENT Virtual Libby 5
4. A FLICKER IN THE DARK Virtual Libby 5
5. SHE WILL RISE KU 5
6. ONE LAST BREATH Author ARC -5
7. THE MISSING FILE own 4
8. ALL THE DANGEROUS PLACES Libby 5
9. BENNY ROSE THE CANNIBAL KING KU 5
10. CHURN THE SOIL 4
11. THE RESIDENCE Scribd 5
12. TEN YEARS GONE HOOPLA 5
13. WHO MOVED MY GOAT CHEESE? HOOPLA 5
14. HOT PINK SATANISM 4
15. THE FAVOR 4
16. STEEPED IN SECRETS HOOPLA 5
17. WASPS IN THE ICE CREAM 4
18. CHLOE CATES IS MISSING Libby 5
19. VANDAL: STORIES OF DAMAGE 5
20. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE LIBBY 5
21. LETTER TO THREE WITCHES LIBBY 5
22. WITCH HITCH 5
23. THE WRITING RETREAT 5
24. DARK INVASION 5
25. ADRIFT 5
26. TRAIL OF THE GHOST BUNNY 4
27. WE WERE NEVER HERE LIBBY 5
28. UNDER ONE ROOF [LOATHE TO LOVE YOU] LIBBY 5
29. BELOW ZERO [LOATHE TO LOVE YOU] LIBBY VIRTUAL 4
30. STUCK WITH YOU [LOATHE TO LOVE YOU] LIBBY VIRTUAL 4
31. THE MONSTERINOS AND THE CHATTERING RABBITS 5
32. LOVE ON THE BRAIN 4
33. LADY'S MAID'S BELL SCRIBD 5
34. MR. NIGHTMARE KU 5
35. THE FEAR 5
36. THE COPPER MAN 5
37. THE SHADOW KING 5

Review: ESCAPE FROM YOKAI LAND [THE LAUNDRY FILES 7.5]

I've read many of Charles Stross's THE LAUNDRY FILES Series, finding each suffused with wry British (perhaps Scottish) humor, combined delightfully with Urban Fantasy in an overpopulated modern London metropolis, set into the Lovecraft Mythos . Possibly the Master himself might even approve. As good fiction often does, THE LAUNDRY FILES enables the author to examine contemporary Society and its many themes and foils. In ESCAPE FROM YOKAI LAND, author Stross takes on the hefty topics of Japanese Folklore and mythology, current Japanese society, the Japanese workplace culture, sexism, corporate profiteering at the expense of Innocence [and innocents], and the friction of Japanese-British political relations since 1931.

One needs look closely though, to discover these themes, as agent Bob Howard of the British government's Capitol Laundry Service is immensely occupied with battling severe jet lag, cultural dissonance, and an intense incursion of entities previously encountered only in Japanese Folklore.

Tour: WHAT BRANCHES GROW by T S. Beier

One of the greatest pleasures in a long life devoted to Reading is opening a book to discover a STRONG female protagonist, one molded through life and trauma, sorrow and pain, yet who is "more than," a persona not just a personality, one with ethics and Integrity, a character I'll be willing to trail into the desert; or in this case, into the all-but-deserted feral wasteland remaining after the Great Apocalypse. Unfortunately, that kind of character isn't common enough, and when paired with a self-analytical, hard-lived, male secondary character as a foil, in a well-thought-out and severely Dystopian [yet all too human] post-apocalypse, well I'm going to jump on that wagon train.

Thank you, T. S. Beier! You've brought me a Thinking Person's Post-Apocalypse, a terrifyingly bland but dangerous attempt at Society in which human frailties and missteps are all too well showcased, and provided hours of entertainment, adrenaline, and years of thought and philosophizing!

Review: AUTONOMOUS by Richard Beauchamp

Science Fiction and Horror have been my two favorite genres over a long lifetime. At first glance they seem to have nothing in common; but look again. What is NOT TERRIFYING about Space? From the very factual Challenger, Columbia, and Apollo 1 multi-tragedies (all Horrifying and unforgettable) and Dr. Who floating gently toward the Sun, to the possibilities in Space: the Void, the Cold, Systems Failures, Meteorites, Asteroids, Comets, Solar Eruptions, Terrific Planet-spanning storms; psychotic break in a crew member; sociopathic artificial intelligence; unsuspected aliens! What in Space is NOT MIND-BOGGLINGLY TERRIFYING??? WHY ARE WE EVEN IN SPACE????

If I haven't already proffered sufficient food for thought (and premises for Nightmares), I now offer you Richard Beauchamp's brand new "REASON TO AVOID SPACE EXPLORATION," titled intriguingly AUTONOMOUS. Oh my: a story does not have to exceed Proustian length to blow readers out of the water and onto an unscheduled EVA tour without a tether [yet another potential Space Terror!] I don't suppose Mr. Beauchamp has ever traveled on a Space Exploration mission, but reading AUTONOMOUS, you would never know: I swear he's traveled to Space and brought back the tale.

Do not overlook AUTONOMOUS! [And do remember: In Space, no one can hear you scream!]

TBRYear10

TBR Pile Challenge Turns 10! I signed up for this a few years ago; unfortunately, I chose randomly, and at the end of the year, all 12 + 2 were still unread!

Alternates (2):
Alternate #1 AEGYPT 2018/GODS OF LOVECRAFT 2017/ THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO 2012/ GROWING THINGS 2019 /
Alternate #2 THE LABYRINTH OF THE SPIRITS 2019/DREAMS FROM THE WITCH HOUSE 2018/

1. JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR (A. TCHAIKOVSKY, et. al.) 2014 READ 8/01 ✅
2. REDEMPTION'S BLADE 2019
3. BLOOD OF THE MANTIS
4. SURVIVOR'S SONG 2020 ✅ READ 3/23
5. ANTARCTICA (KSR) 2017. READ 1/23-1/25✅
6. EVOLUTION 2014
7. SUNSTORM 2014 ✅ READ 8/06
8. RED MOON 2018
9. ICEHENGE 2012 ✅ READ 8/07
10. URANUS 2020 READ 3/19-3/20✅
11. FROZEN SOLID (HALLIE LELAND #2) 2013 READ 1/28-29✅
12. VOSTOK STATION 2017. READ 1/17-1/18/2023.✅

YULETIDE SPIRIT READATHON

Yuletide Spirit

Goal: 1. Read 6+ = 8 Christmas/Christmastide/Christmas settings

Christmas Films:#

Children's Christmas: #2

YULETIDE SPIRIT READATHON: (Nov. 21-Jan. 23)

1. ALL THE BLOOD WE SHARE NG ARC
2. THE HIDDEN SPACE Author ARC
3. A QUIET RETREAT KU VIRTUAL
4. BLACKWATER FALLS LIBBY VIRTUAL
5. HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE NG ARC
6. A SNAKE FALLS TO EARTH
7. I CHOOSE DARKNESS
8. THE UNSOLVED CASE OF THE CHRISTMAS BABY NG ARC Christmas #1
9. Christmas Land Christmas#2 CHILDREN'S #1
10. CHALICE OF DARKNESS
11. YULETIDE INVASION Christmas #3
12. SACCULINA
13. EPISODE THIRTEEN NG ARC
14. MONICA ADAMS SKIPS CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS #4
15. DANGEROUS DEEDS (Cozy)
16. SECRET SANTA FOR GRUMPY ELVES CHRISTMAS #5 LGBT Christmas Romance
17. BRIARCLIFF PREP
18. SECRET SANTA MURDER Christmas #6
19. AUTONOMOUS by Richard Beauchamp
20. NO GODS TO DROWN
21. COLD WOODS CHRISTMAS #7
21. FROSTY THE SNOWMAN CHRISTMAS #8 CHILDREN'S #2
22. THE DEVIL'S SHALLOWS
23. THE DINNER GUESTS KU VIRTUAL
24. DEVIL BOARD
25. WHAT BRANCHES GROW HRPR
26. MONSTERS CLP ARC
27. FOR MY GOOD A CHRISTMAS SHORT STORY Christmas #9
28. KRAMPUS' TREE FARM KU VIRTUAL Christmas #10
29. DIVISION X
30. HELLFIRE (SCARE STREET)
31. WISHES AND HORSES
32. FURY
33. KRAE
34. THE GHOSTS OF A COVEN PAST
35. THE CHRISTMAS CUCUY Christmas #11
36. NOT A CREATURE WAS PURRING Christmas #12
37. THE SNOWMAN KILLER Christmas #13
38. FIND HER
39. SNOWMAN AMUCK CHILDREN'S #3 Christmas #14
40. ROOK: SNOWMAN Christmas #15
41. ALL ROADS LEAD TO SOUTH WALES
42. THE LINGERING
43. IT LOOKS LIKE US
44. QUEEN OF TEETH
45. CAN YOU SPOT THE LEOPARD?
46. QUANTUM OF NIGHTMARES
47. CHRISTMAS AT WHEELDALE INN Christmas #17
48. EQUOID
48 TOTAL, 17 CHRISTMAS/WINTER CHRISTMAS 🎄 CHILDREN'S BOOKS: 1. CHRISTMAS LAND

2. FROSTY THE SNOWMAN 3. SNOWMAN AMUCK