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Post by brutalis on Jul 10, 2018 8:46:51 GMT -5
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of An Empire. By Simon Baker.
While you can't put all of the history and stories of Rome into one book without it being thick as a forest this one gives a fairly good overview of the highlights and major players during key points. The big names are covered with spotlights of their times and accomplishments and downfalls. Insights are provided about the political and historical climate of Rome, its Empire and its Rulers. The 400+ pages provides interesting and captivating reading that gives you more than just facts or rumors while giving a reader a good start to dig deeper into the vast history that is Rome. From this book you can pick and choose the highlights that may interest you while showing a glimpse of life within the Empire. By the end you have been shown the birth, the rise, the glory, the tragedies and the fall of this important Republic.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 11, 2018 11:31:16 GMT -5
Sinner Man (aka Savage Lover) by Lawrence Block. This book is one of the reasons I love Hard Case Crime. This was a "lost" book. Well...it was kind of lost. This was the first crime novel written by Lawrence Block. It wasn't his first novel...he'd been writing erotica. And it wasn't his first crime writing...he'd been putting short stories into magazines like Manhunt. But it was the first crime novel he wrote. He placed it with his agent and...that was kind of it. He was never quite sure if it was published and if so by whom, under what title or under what name (he used a number of pseudonyms). Over the years he vaguely remembered part of the plot and attempted to track it down. He finally did and found it had been published as Savage Lover under the name of Sheldon Lord. The book was re-edited by Charles Ardai and published by Hardcase. It's all set out in a pretty fun afterward written by Block. And the thing is...for a first crime novel it's not too shabby. Our protagonist accidentally kills his wife in an argument. Rather than face a manslaughter charge he runs, changes his name and gets in with the Buffalo mob. And he does well for himself. Unfortunately there's a femme fatale who he might want to treat a bit better than he does. The book shows some problems that are probably to be expected from a young crime writer. There are some issues with how the mob works that Block almost certainly wouldn't make today. But overall it's a very solid literary noir. For the time it was written (mid 60s) it was probably a tad lurid. Today, not so much. And while it's definitely not a classic of the genre it far surpasses the novelty aspect of being the first crime novel written by a master of the genre. It definitely didn't deserve to be lost and forgotten. And a huge thanks to everyone for bringing it into the light.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 11, 2018 21:35:32 GMT -5
Son of Tarzan I'd been holding on to this for a while waiting to get a chance to read the DC Korak comics, and then I forgot I had it until the awesome Neal Adams cover jumped out at me from the to-read pile. When I first discovered ERB and read the John Carter books, I kinda scoffed at Tarzan.. the various and sundry TV adaptations are all pretty silly, after all. I've since come around on him... Tarzan is a far more interesting under his creator's pen than any adapations, and it turns out to be the same cast with Korak and Meriem. Of course, if you're not a fan of the ERB adventure story model of manly men and weasely villains, then this isn't going to change your mind. It is a great installment in the series though, even if there are a few too many coincidences, and you'd have to be really, really unfamiliar with the genre (or literature in general) to not see the 'surprise' ending... it's a great read if you're in the mood for men's adventure.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jul 12, 2018 4:37:32 GMT -5
I initially had the same, sort of derisive, attitude on Tarzan, also based on the TV shows of my early youth. However, that impression was changed by a combination of the Filmation Saturday morning cartoon and the Marvel Tarzan comics - these led me to Burroughs' original books. The fourth book is a really solid entry, although I agree that the story depended on some very pat, fortuitous events to keep it moving. Personally, I think the first six Tarzan books are the best - after that, the stories start to become very formulaic.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jul 12, 2018 5:50:33 GMT -5
Son of Tarzan I'd been holding on to this for a while waiting to get a chance to read the DC Korak comics, and then I forgot I had it until the awesome Neal Adams cover jumped out at me from the to-read pile. When I first discovered ERB and read the John Carter books, I kinda scoffed at Tarzan.. the various and sundry TV adaptations are all pretty silly, after all. I've since come around on him... Tarzan is a far more interesting under his creator's pen than any adapations, and it turns out to be the same cast with Korak and Meriem. Of course, if you're not a fan of the ERB adventure story model of manly men and weasely villains, then this isn't going to change your mind. It is a great installment in the series though, even if there are a few too many coincidences, and you'd have to be really, really unfamiliar with the genre (or literature in general) to not see the 'surprise' ending... it's a great read if you're in the mood for men's adventure. That’s the first novel I ever read as a kid, so it holds a special place in my heart!
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 12, 2018 7:23:28 GMT -5
I initially had the same, sort of derisive, attitude on Tarzan, also based on the TV shows of my early youth. However, that impression was changed by a combination of the Filmation Saturday morning cartoon and the Marvel Tarzan comics - these led me to Burroughs' original books. The fourth book is a really solid entry, although I agree that the story depended on some very pat, fortuitous events to keep it moving. Personally, I think the first six Tarzan books are the best - after that, the stories start to become very formulaic. This is only the 2nd one I've officially read, I'm definitely planning on seeing if I can get some of the others.. the printing with the black border that I have this one for all have covers either by Neal Adams of Boris Valejo, so I'm thinking those are the ones to get, I just need to be good and read some of the stuff I have first.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jul 12, 2018 7:54:44 GMT -5
The pb editions with the black-bordered covers were the ones I was getting back then (tail-end of the '70s/early '80s) and I still consider them the best Tarzan covers ever, esp. the those with illustrations by Neal Adams.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 12, 2018 21:14:28 GMT -5
The pb editions with the black-bordered covers were the ones I was getting back then (tail-end of the '70s/early '80s) and I still consider them the best Tarzan covers ever, esp. the those with illustrations by Neal Adams. They really are.. I spent some time on Ebay last night looking at stuff... not only is Neal Adams awesome, but the black trade dress is far superior. I also found a mildly tempting Conan set from about the same time with posters of all the covers... its not an artist I know, but it's a frazetta clone that decent. I do have the 60s ones with actual Frazetta covers, but they're not in great condition and kinda fragile.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 13, 2018 11:22:09 GMT -5
River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey An odd little caper/alt-history novella. The alt portion is premised on the U.S. importing hippos as a food source and ultimately large swathes of the South being turned into swamps for hippo ranches. The caper part comes in with a small group who are tasked by the U.S. government to clear out a large group of feral hippos that have infested a lake in what used to be a section of the Mississippi. The alt part of this is largely alluded too in the story and is more properly shown in a supplemental timeline. It's an odd but interesting premise. Apparently there was a plan to start hippo ranching in Louisiana in the early 1800s as both a food source and to help get rid of the water hyacinth that was an ecological nightmare. But it never came to fruition. The caper makes up the bulk of the plot and action. And overall it works well. As is wont in a caper things go wrong and people aren't what they seem. Gailey does a good job of establishing character, particularly difficult in a short work with a fairly large cast of characters. And there is part of the rub. Gailey deals with gender and sexuality issues in a decidedly modern way. And while it doesn't entirely take me out of the story...and works a bit better because this is an alt-history...it still is a bit jarring in a story set in the late 1800s. But overall it's a fun short read well worth the limited time commitment.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 14, 2018 9:07:19 GMT -5
The Hellfire Conspiracy by Will Thomas
This one is easily the best one of the series to date... as Barker and Llewelyn go to the East End to solve a string of child murders. It does a fantastic job of showing the class issues in England at the time, right down to bickering between police.
He also added real historical figures into this one , actually discussing the issues of the time in raising the age of consent from 13-16, and making William Thomas Stead a central figure in the story.
As far as I can see, the fiction story was weaved around these historical events quite seamlessly, and while I would have appreciated a bit of a 'notes' section from the author describing his research, and where he took liberties, my own quick study seems as though few were beyond the required placing of ones fictional characters into the narrative.
There was also quite a bit of development in the characters of Barker and Llewelyn, including a tease of having Llewelyn having a relationship with Beatrice Potter (not to be confused with Beatrix Potter).. which would be interesting to say the least, both just to have a fictional character and a real one mixed, and for the continued exploration of the Socialist movement in England at the time, which has been a recurring them and took center stage in the book.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Jul 16, 2018 4:54:56 GMT -5
Grifter's Game by Lawrence Block Like Sinner Man, reviewed above by Slam Bradley, we have Hard Case Crime to thank for this one being reprinted. It's actually the first novel Block published under his own name (back in 1961) and one of his earliest crime novels in general. It's a pretty good read; it's narrated in the first person by a youngish (late '20s), well, grifter, who engages in small cons like checking into posh hotels, staying for a few weeks and then skipping out without settling his bill, or relying on his good looks to play gigolo with corruptible wealthy women. Things change, though, when he meets and starts having a passionate affair with an achingly beautiful young woman in Atlantic City, who wants out of her marriage to a much older, bland, well-to-do and apparently upstanding businessman husband - who, apparently unbeknownst to her, makes his money by dealing heroin. It's suitably noirish, with the obligatory femme fatale, but then in the last 20 or so pages it takes a really sharp, dark and - to me at least - unexpected turn. Definitely worth reading if you like crime fiction, and it's impressive that Block was in his early 20s when he wrote it. It was previously published as Mona and also Sweet Slow Death; I found my rather good copy a few weeks ago in a thrift shop in Salem, OR, while visiting relatives - I think I paid a dollar for it.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jul 16, 2018 9:23:51 GMT -5
Grifter's Game by Lawrence Block Like Sinner Man, reviewed above by Slam Bradley, we have Hard Case Crime to thank for this one being reprinted. It's actually the first novel Block published under his own name (back in 1961) and one of his earliest crime novels in general. It's a pretty good read; it's narrated in the first person by a youngish (late '20s), well, grifter, who engages in small cons like checking into posh hotels, staying for a few weeks and then skipping out without settling his bill, or relying on his good looks to play gigolo with corruptible wealthy women. Things change, though, when he meets and starts having a passionate affair with an achingly beautiful young woman in Atlantic City, who wants out of her marriage to a much older, bland, well-to-do and apparently upstanding businessman husband - who, apparently unbeknownst to her, makes his money by dealing heroin. It's suitably noirish, with the obligatory femme fatale, but then in the last 20 or so pages it takes a really sharp, dark and - to me at least - unexpected turn. Definitely worth reading if you like crime fiction, and it's impressive that Block was in his early 20s when he wrote it. It was previously published as Mona and also Sweet Slow Death; I found my rather good copy a few weeks ago in a thrift shop in Salem, OR, while visiting relatives - I think I paid a dollar for it. I read that one about five years ago. I remember liking it quite well, but I'm already pretty fuzzy on the details of the book.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jul 16, 2018 14:44:28 GMT -5
I just realized that not only is there a Starbuck in Moby Dick, there is also a Boomer.
Complete nerdgasm.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 16, 2018 15:25:01 GMT -5
I just realized that not only is there a Starbuck in Moby Dick, there is also a Boomer. Complete nerdgasm. There's also a Flask, so you can spike that caramel cappuccino soy latte you waited 45 minutes for.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Jul 16, 2018 17:02:41 GMT -5
I just realized that not only is there a Starbuck in Moby Dick, there is also a Boomer. Complete nerdgasm. There's also a Flask, so you can spike that caramel cappuccino soy latte you waited 45 minutes for. Was there a Flask in Galactica? My Nerd Fu has failed me!!!
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