Increasingly this is a question I ask myself: has science fiction lost touch? More precisely, has science fiction lost its relevance? The Golden Age of science fiction saw giants writing not about the actual science of the day, but of science that might or could be. The main question of the stories from Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury, Wyndham, Sturgeon and van Vogt (to name but a few) was What If? These writers dared to imagine, dared…
The Enchantress Of Florence: A Novel by Salman Rushdie My rating: 5 of 5 stars The publisher’s blurb for The Enchantress of Florence does credit to the surface plot of the story. However, to read a Rushdie novel is all about depths, dimensions — mirrors, if you will. And it is mirrors this novel addresses, from the handmaiden of the Enchantress herself, to relationships, histories, and philosophies. To read this novel is like looking at…
Scrounged around the kitchen this afternoon for a light, refreshing lunch for Gary and me and came up with this lovely salad, utilizing some of the early produce of our garden. The Salad6-8 leaves fresh sorrel, sliced thinly6-8 leaves romaine, sliced thinly1/3 cup finely chopped chives (I use the flowers as well.)1 clementine orange, peeled and segmented1 bosc pear, cored and cubed1/4 cup cubed summer sausage Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl. Dressing1/4 cup…
Twenty or so years ago I used to scribble a great deal of poetry, much of it abysmal. This one, however, always stuck with me. And given I’m wasting time this afternoon instead of working, thought maybe I’d put it out here for perusal. Kamikaze Girl Kamikaze girl looking in a haunted mirror will you cry is there a fear you’re fading fast? Shades of night subdue the lamplight, in the glass there is the…
Enter, Night by Michael RoweMy rating: 3 of 5 stars There is much to be said for Michael Rowe’s novel, Enter, Night. It is a refreshingly traditional vampire story. No eco-friendly, glittering, James Dean vampires here. Rowe harks back to Bram Stoker’s original vampire incarnation, which in turn borrowed heavily from ancient legends. Overall, the novel clips along with aggressively spare and gritty prose. No poetic metaphors here. Every word, every scene, every character is…