Star Wars – I came across these yesterday and wanted to share them. The Star Wars themed wallpapers shown above are just two of the seven that are available to download from “Star Wars fan wallpaper creations“.
Dress up your phone and May the Force Be With You!
Science Fiction – Very nice Science Fiction artwork
The Hyperspace Trap, by Mike Heath. Click here for more of the artist’s work!
Click the picture for full-size. I find lots inspiration in artwork, and I share the best pieces I find here so that others may enjoy and perhaps be inspired by them as well.
Some of these pieces have inspired my writing, or beautifully frame some concept or another that I may want or have already written about. I present them here without commentary so they may inspire you without the burden of my perspective, but if you are curious as to my thoughts on any piece or whish to share your own comments are always welcome.
If you’re interested in more Science Fiction Artwork shared previously on my blog, the provided link will take you to an index of them.
Book Reviews – “Thin Air” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Richard K. Morgan (https://www.richardkmorgan.com). Mr. Morgan has published 10 novels.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Language, and a few Mature Situations. The story is set in the future on Mars. The primary character is Hakan Veil, a former a protection specialist for commercial spacecraft. He is equipped with military-grade body tech that makes him a force to reckon with.
Veil is now involuntarily retired from his commercial protection role. He takes on private engagements and finds himself forced to take on the job of bodyguard to an Earth Oversite investigator. It is supposed to be an easy gig.
The easy job turns into attempts on his life, a missing investigator, and the discovery of a conspiracy. Can he stay alive long enough to find the investigator?
I thoroughly enjoyed the near 16 hours I spent reading this 536-page science fiction mystery. This novel seemed to start off very slowly. I almost called a Rule of 50 on it, but I persisted and in the end, I was glad that I had. This feels like a noir mystery the way it is written (Veil reminds me of Philip Marlowe except that he is living a couple of hundred years later and on Mars). The cover art is OK, though something in line with the plot would have been better in my opinion. I give this novel a 4.3 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).
I like content about engineers
The battle left the engineers mangled, but as lovers they endured.
With care and skill, she built him arms of enchanted clockwork. Hands restored, he fashioned legs of graceful steel.
She walked on new limbs beside him, her supple grip entwined with fingers of brass.
Copyright © 2019 by Jason H. Abbott, All Rights Reserved.
Discover more of my Aethereal Musings.
Short Films – The short (10:00) Star Wars Fan Film “The Fallen Jedi” was uploaded to YouTube in July of 2017 by GUWZs Productions. The synopsis:
Jaina and her darksaber battle Jacen Solo one last time to determine the fate of the galaxy!
This is not the best Star Wars Fan Film I have seen, but it is far from the worst. The special effects of the lightsaber fighting are pretty good. I also really like Jaina’s use of the “darksaber”. A real plus for this fan film is that it is not shot out in the forest. As good as this short is I am surprised that it still has less than 20,000 views after 18 months.
If you are a Star Wars fan I would recommend giving up the 10 minutes to watch this fan film.
Star Wars – The Star Wars Universe has introduced us to a variety of people, creatures, bots, vehicles, and planets over the years. Have you ever wondered how large they were? This short (9:48) video will show you how many of them compare in size.
This video from MetalBallStudios was uploaded to YouTube in February of 2019. As their synopsis of the video states:
Comparison of many things from the Star Wars movies. Only movies from episode I to VIII, Rogue One and Solo. Obviously, not everything appears, only the most representative.
If you are a fan of the Star Wars stories you will find this size comparison interesting.
Book Reviews – “Limetown” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Cote Smith (https://www.cotesmith.com). Mr. Smith has published two novels. This novel is the prequel to the popular podcast of the same name.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set about ten years ago, mostly in Kentucky. The primary character is seventeen-year-old Lia Haddock.
Haddock’s mother has been acting strangely. Over 300 people have disappeared from a research center in Limetown, Kentucky. Among them are Haddock’s uncle, Emile Haddock, who she barely remembers. Young Haddock is an aspiring journalist and finds herself compelled to seek answers to the disappearance.
She finds that her parents have been keeping secrets from one another and from her. She finds a mystery surrounding her uncle. She finds that she is not the only one seeking Emile Haddock.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 304-page science fiction mystery. I had not listened to the podcast when I read this novel, but have now. The story is a little odd and borders on the paranormal. I would recommend reading it before listening to season 1, but even afterward it will be of value to the fan of the Limetown podcast. It does explain a lot of the backstory for what happens in season 1 of the podcast. I am not a fan of the chosen cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).
Podcasts – I do listen to many podcasts. I came across Limetown a short time ago, though it had first appeared in 2015. It is a production of Two Up Productions. Two seasons of six episodes each, with a few short podcasts in between, have been released thus far. The first season was a top podcast in 2015. The synopsis:
Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock asks the question once more, “What happened to the people of Limetown?”
Unlike most podcasts, this is more of a science fiction radio drama. If you like science fiction and podcasts, you might want to give this series a try. The series is available on iTunes.
There is a prequel novel to the podcast also named “Limetown“. If you enjoy the podcast, you will want to read the novel.
Short Films – I came across the short (23:47) science fiction film “Red Mission” a few months ago, but did not view it until yesterday. It was uploaded to YouTube in October of 2015 by KP Films. The synopsis:
In the year 2053, Richards, Hudson, and Bowman are the first astronauts to be sent on a mission to the Red Planet. Richards, who is alone in the Mars Red II Recon Orbiter, must figure out what has happened to his friends when the mission takes an unexpected turn.
I thought that this was a well-done film, though it is a little strange. As one of those commenting on the YouTube post said, “This had a very nostalgic feel of an episode of the “Twilight Zone” or maybe the “Outer Limits” TV shows”. I agree that it has that sort of feel. The rating for this film on IMDB was only 4.5/10, a little lower than I would have expected.
Short Stories – I came across the short story “Disconnect” published in Uncanny Magazine a short time back. It is written by Fran Wilde (http://www.franwilde.net). Ms. Wilde has published several short stories, novellas, and novels.
Wars have come and gone affecting the planet. Physicist Izze Freer has been drastically affected. She struggles to keep herself together (literally) teaching while avoiding further studies of her condition.
This a strange little story that took just under 35 minutes to read. I liked the story, but the plot is a little odd and it doesn’t really reach much of a conclusion. You can read the story on the Uncanny website. I would give it a rating of 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.
