2019-07-29

"The Lady From the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick" by Mallory O'Meara



Publisher:Toronto : Hanover Square Press, [2019]
Copyright Date:©2019
ISBN:9781335937803Characteristics:                  307 pages :,illustrations

This book is without a doubt, the most fascinating biography I have ever read. I don't know how many times I have actually watched "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", but if I'd known that the gill-man had been designed by a talented artist such as Milicent Patrick, then I'm sure my enjoyment of this movie would've been a few orders of magnitude higher than it was (if that is mathematically possible).

The way that Mallory O'Meara uncovered the life of Milicent Patrick is to say the least amazing. The hard work and the dedication that she put into the research and writing of this book makes it all the better.

Having dabbled in the world of theatrical makeup for both my own interests, as well as fandom in general I know how difficult and time-consuming it is to actually design prosthetic make up. But then to not receive credit for your work is a shame to say the least, and just because this is the way it was back in the 1950s, and even up to the present day that does not make it right.

I had heard rumours about Bud Westmore and his predatory, and vengeful behaviour but had never really had any examples to show how bad he really was. The fact that he took credit for designing the gill-man, when it was obviously not true and that it was covered up by Universal Pictures is despicable, and the company should be ashamed of itself. It is crap like this that has fuelled the misogynistic behaviour that is rampant within the movie industry (and so many other businesses as well). It makes one wonder how many other hidden stories there are of women who have contributed but never received credit for the work they've done.

A wonderful tribute, if anyone is up to the challenge, would be to see a book showcasing all of Milicent Patrick's work, granted this would be a major undertaking, but I feel it would definitely be worth producing.

2019-07-22

"Space Cadet" by Robert A. Heinlein (1908-1980)



Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright: 1948

I wrote this review quite some time ago, but for some odd reason neglected to publish it. So here you are ...

Space cadet is the second novel in the series classified as the Heinline juveniles. It was written in 1948, and takes place in the year 2075. Which is approximately 125 years after "Rocket Ship Galileo".

The story tells the tale of a young boy by the name of Matthew Dodson who has been excepted as a cadet recruit in the Solar Patrol, which is essentially the police force for the solar system. In the Heinlein Universe in which this series is set, a fair amount has occurred since Rocket Ship Galileo, in that both Mars and Venus have been explored, and found to be inhabited, and their are human settlement on numerous planets. Also, as was found in the previous book the moon had at one point been inhabited as well, but that was many thousands of years ago.

When the story opens Matthew is just arriving at the patrol headquarters in preparation for training, he meets another boy there by the name of Tex, and they proceed through training together as co-protagonists. These two are joined by another two week young man by the name of Oscar Jensen and Pierre Armand. Oscar is a Venus colonial, and Pierre is from Ganymede. It's probably quite a bit different

The training that is described in this book in the first few chapters, is probably quite a bit different that astronauts would go through today, but considering it was written many years ago it is quite thorough and gives the reader an idea of exactly what they might have gone through.

The adventures of these four boys, after they leave the Academy forms the basis of the story, and takes them on a rescue mission to the astroid belt, another and another rescue mission to Venus where they are required to interact with the native population.

This was one of the first Highland books that I actually read many decades ago that hooked me on his writing style and characters etc. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for good but not necessarily juvenile science-fiction though, has Mr. Heinlein tend to write for well read readers.


2019-07-15

"Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists" by Dan Barker



Publisher:  Berkeley, Calif. : Ulysses Press, [2008]
Copyright Date:  ©2008
ISBN:  9781569756775
Characteristics: xv, 376 pages ;,22 cm

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed Dan Barker's book "God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction" in which he mentioned briefly how he chose to give up a religious outlook on life. This book "Godless" which was written earlier goes into great detail with regard to Mr. Barker's choice to pursue a secular life.

Part one, the first four chapters of this book take us from when he was 15 years old, and felt that he had received a calling to be an evangelical preacher, which he was for 19 years. It then goes on to detail how he lost his faith and what came into his life to replace it.

The five chapters in part two explain why Mr. Barker is now an atheist. He does this in a very logical manner with excellent examples, and a lot of humor.

In the third part which is seven chapters long Mr. Barker gives a generalized overview of what is actually wrong with Christianity. He deals with such topics as the Bible and morality, murder, goodness, the biblical contradictions, the various discrepancies within the Bible, whether Jesus actually existed, and finally whether he actually arose from the dead.

The final three chapters, which constitutes part four, deals with his work with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and some of the encounters he's had over the years with other atheists, religious figures, etc.

I found this to be an excellent book, that belongs in the collection of anybody who has even the slightest doubt about Christianity, or religion in general for that matter.

I think it would be wonderful to finda comparable version of this book that explains in the same detail the religions of Islam, Judaism, Buddhism etc. As I feel if we had reference material such as this there'll be much less conflict in the world, and I'm sure that would benefit everyone.

2019-07-08

"Citizen of the Galaxy" by Robert A. Heinlein (1908-1980)



Publisher: Ballantine
Copyright: 1957

Citizen of the Galaxy is the 11th (and second last) book in what are considered to be the Heinlein juveniles. As far as I can tell it is not set in the same timeline as some of the others are. However, if one wished to consider it to be in the same framework then it would have to be much farther in the future then pretty much any of the other books. I say this because interstellar travel is common, as it is faster than light travel, and many many stars have been colonized, etc.

The story itself tells the tale of a young orphan boy named Thorby. Later on in the book we learn that at the beginning of the story he is approximately four years old. When the story opens Thorby is standing on a slave block in the process of being auctioned off. He is purchased for a very small amount by a begger named Baslim the Cripple.

The first part of the story tells of the time Thorby lived with Baslim, which seems to equate to approximately ten years. The rest of the story is unfortunately hard to relate in a review without giving away the entire plot. However, in general Thorby is forced to leave Baslim, and the planet they had lived on and escapes on a starship. He lives aboard this ship for approximately two more years, then once again moves on, unwillingly at first, and joins the Hegemonic Guard at which time he is finally identified, reunited with his biological family (which has both good and bad points), and learns about his place in the world.

While I could be mistaken I believe this was one of the very first Heinlein books I ever read, and I still consider it to be one of my favourites (even after close to 50 years). It is a well written novel, with great characterization, a well devised plot, and a great message.

Highly recommended to anyone who likes classic science fiction.

2019-07-01

"God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction" by Dan Barker



Publisher:New York : Sterling
Copyright Date:©2016
ISBN: 9781454918325

The impetus for this book and its title comes from a quote from Richard Dawkins' book "The God Delusion" in which he says (in the opening of chapter 2): "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction."

Dan Barker a former minister takes this thought and runs with it. This book contains verses from all 39 books of the Old Testament, and each of the 28 chapters begins with a commentary on one or two biblical stories that Barker has chosen. He goes on then to quote a number of selected versus along with commentary to prove his thesis. The final chapter also extends this commentary into the New Testament, which proves to be equally if not more  horrific as Jesus is typically portrayed as a honourable and compassionate person.

Because of Mr. Barker's previous occupation he is well-suited to be able to write a book such as this, his time as a minister gives him the experience and authority to give credit to his writing.

This book is unlikely to actually convert a true believer away from a religious point of view. But it should easily allow a person to strengthen their non-belief by giving them examples and information they can use to support and explain their choices. In addition, this book would be a fantastic resource for anyone who is actively questioning religion, or looking for evidence and reasons to support their choice to give up on religion.

I'm unaware of any books of this type that discuss other mainstream religions, but I would love to review them to see how they compare.

Going on Hiatus

 Greetings, I have decided to put a hold on doing further book reviews for a while. In fact I'm not sure if I will resume doing reviews ...