For once, something truly meaningful
I have been feeling very down lately, quite discouraged, because I am in the process of being retrained. I cannotContinue Reading
Category: Discussion of film/TV series
Discussion of film/TV series Humor Humour Review of Autobiography Review of Humor Review of new book
There shall be no hugging – Is This Anything?, by Jerry Seinfeld
Humour and comedy, these days, are minefields – full of potential explosions of public vitriol and outrage. One minute aContinue Reading
Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book
It’s got MacGuffins! – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, by Quentin Tarantino
After my wee bit of silliness last week, here is my actual review of Once Upon a Time in HollywoodContinue Reading
Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book
Now for the book: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, by Quentin Tarantino
A review to suit a modern fairytale Once upon a time… Once upon a time, in a big, shiny cityContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of film/TV series Published books Readers and reading Review of literary fiction
The origins of “Waiting for the Barbarians”
Uncomfortable truths aplenty come to mind when you read and absorb J.M. Coetzee’s famous dystopian narrative, Waiting for the Barbarians.Continue Reading
Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of new book Review of science fiction
Hell hath no wrath like a disappointed Star Trek Fan
The plot, settings and characters of Star trek Picard – The Last Best Hope, were predetermined, and only needed toContinue Reading
Going off the rails – Too many alterations in the TV version of “Altered Carbon”
In my review of Richard Morgan’s Altered Carbon, I wrote that season 1 of the TV version of the bookContinue Reading
Award-winning novel Constructed World Novel Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of science fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction Awards
The grossest – and most poetic – scenes of violence ever – Altered Carbon, by Richard Morgan
The concept on which Altered Carbon is based is ingenious – it was futuristic and fantastical when Richard Morgan wrote theContinue Reading
Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of genre getting published Non-fiction Review of new book Science Fiction
Looking back at the original Star Trek – The Trouble with Tribbles
Which Sci-Fi devotee is not looking forward to the debut of Star Trek: Picard? (Roll on, January 23, 2020!) IContinue Reading
Afrikaans Art Art-themed Fiction Authors to watch Award-winning novel Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of literary fiction Review of modern fiction Trending
Amazing Interconnectedness – The Garden of Evening Mists, by Tan Twan Eng (now a major film)
Some books have exotic contexts – there is a story about the story, and it helps the promotion of theContinue Reading
Backstories Creative Process Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series List of similar books
Fascinating Fictional Fiction – Off the page into your hands (Part 3)
In the last of this series of posts on Fictional Fiction, I look into those famous authors whose invented booksContinue Reading
Read the books before you judge the films – GoT and Florence Foster Jenkins
Game of Thrones has now ended, and amid the uproar about the storyline and perceived-as-unsatisfactory conclusion of the final season, despairingContinue Reading
The Genius of Genndy Tartakovsky – “Samurai Jack” returns one last time
I’m not an anime fan. I don’t do cosplay, and I generally like Hard Science Fiction more than novels aboutContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Reviews of short stories
The mystery of the misquoted quote from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”
Sometimes, a line from a book or a film just sounds to good to resist. It sticks in your headContinue Reading
Review in a compact video – Bloom County, by Berke Breathed
In my review of the return of the Bloom County comic strip, I had in my mind only the drawnContinue Reading
Backstories children’s book Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Trending
Oh dear, Mary Poppins Returns – here comes the spoonful of saccharine
The teaser trailer for the new film based on the Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers was released to coincideContinue Reading
Backstories Cold Climate Novels for Summer Current events Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of film/TV series Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Trending
Classic crime fiction with a Canadian twist – The John Cardinal Series, by Giles Blunt
I watched the final episode of the second season of Cardinal, based on the books by Giles Blunt, on Feb. 8,Continue Reading
Backstories Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Review of new book Trending
A portrait of stoicism and fortitude – Caroline, by Sarah Miller
What is the appeal of the old-fashioned stiff upper lip? Of a person with backbone, inner strength, dogged determination? Caroline,Continue Reading
Best of 2018 Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Mysteries and Thrillers Review of Mysteries and Thrillers Review of new book Trending
It’s all about the blood…and how it drips! – The Thirst, by Jo Nesbo
The film adaptation of The Snowman by Jo Nesbø (Nesbo outside Norway) came out last year October. Directed by TomasContinue Reading
The Year in Books – Fancy yourself in a crowd?
Book blogs and book review aggregators exist because people like being part of a community that shares their interests. ThisContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Modern fiction Review of modern fiction
Just way too wordy – The Hippopotamus, by Stephen Fry
I did not think that I would get tired of reading the heavily stylized and very British English of StephenContinue Reading
Art Backstories Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series List of similar books Review of historical fiction
It’s all in the timing – Film of Tulip Fever and exhibition of Vermeer’s paintings
With books, as with films, success depends a lot on the timing and the tie-ins. Whether it will resonate withContinue Reading
Backstories Detective fiction detective novel Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Literary analysis Mysteries and Thrillers
In the footsteps of fictional detectives – The rise of literary tourism
Popular TV shows that are based on series of books are often favourite sources for “literary tourism”, but when fansContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Humor Humour Reviews of Screenplays and Dramas
When the film is better than the book – A Man Called Ove
I think people fall into three categories: 1) those who read the book first, then go see the film ofContinue Reading
Backstories Current events Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of Autobiography Review of memoir
Goodbye, Sir Roger – My Word Is My Bond, by Roger Moore
You could be tempted to dismiss Roger Moore’s autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, as a bit of a joke,Continue Reading
Poor presentations detract from the messages at Worldcon 75
The first Academic Track session on the first day of Worldcon 75 (the 75th World Science Fiction Conference), on theContinue Reading
Why we think that fictional characters are real
The reboot of the TV series Twin Peaks, Twin Peaks: The Return premiered on the 21st of May, to a hugeContinue Reading
Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of genre Non-fiction Review of new book Review of new non-fiction
All the Best Lines, by George Tiffin
For New Year 2016 I engaged my brain to delve into some interesting new non-fiction. These are not obvious choicesContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of historical fiction Review of modern fiction Review of novel
The Big Business of Erotic Romances – Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
For the last in my series of festive season books, the theme is romance and erotica, and I have someContinue Reading
“Corner Gas” movie in production – Finally!
Ever since the Canadian sitcom series Corner Gas ended in 2009, people have been asking (1) why it stopped andContinue Reading
“Corner Gas” – The Comedy of Brent Butt and the Canadian Psyche
At the time that I relocated to Canada from South Africa, I thought that the situation down in Southern AfricaContinue Reading
Milking a franchise – Let Me Off at the Top! by Ron Burgundy
“Ron Burgundy” is of course not the actual author of this book – it was penned by Will Ferrell andContinue Reading
SEVEN CIRCUMSTANCES 