My honour is called loyalty!

Author: Caitlin R Kiernan
Book: Agents of Dreamland; Black Helicopters; The Tindalos Asset
Year: 2015/2017/2020
Pages: 125 / 202 / 176
Part of Series: Tinfoil Dossier Trilogy
Reading Time: 7 days (5 & 6 September 2021; 16 to 18 October 2021 and 14 to 15 January 2022)
Rating: 4 & 2 & 1 stars

Agents of Dreamland

I may say that up front I didn't enjoy it. To weird for me. Discovery we follow the guy was trying to find something, discover, uncover something. Next chapter it's just other person and it's very confusing at times to understand what's happening or who's talking and so on. To be quite honest it didn't felt that felt like a complete novel which it isn't since there are two sequels. Maybe I am at fault but it seem two different writers.. some interesting thoughts on the fungus and the zombie ants and a different type of Cthulhu stories.. I will read the 2 and 3 without a doubt .

Black Helicopters

Well, what we have here it's the second novel in the Tinfoil series.

I've read the first a couple of months ago and I didn't enjoy it. But I know Caitlin is well received as a Lovecraftian horror master but alas, I just couldn't get into it. The book is 200 pages long and it's boring and pointless. First of all, I may be at fault here. Maybe I am not erudite to fully understand the novel but I couldn't. Of course I understood the plot - overall it follows the first but I guess you can read it without having read the first - although it makes zero sense to start at book 2 of a series.

So what is the story and why I didn't enjoy it. - first of all the constant changing of timelines every chapter. This confuse me. Then you've got the plot itself and I couldn't understand anything. You've got spies in Dublin, you've got ships, you've got the black and white queen stuff, you've got the future where the writing was even more incomprehensible (probably just saying that writing from the 1800 it's different from nowadays so probably the future will sound/read differently.

Bear in mind that by the descriptions I hope something more akin Lovecraftian but what I got was some weird stuff- probably Weird Fiction is all about? I didn't felt any kind of horror or fear - nada that I could say it's Lovecraftian. To mention Shoggoths and labelling as Lovecraftian it's like saying that anything has four tires it's a care. It doesn't work like that. It could be a wagon or anything in-between. The only connection is that a car and a wagon has four tires...

Then why the chapter with people speak in French? Damn... Those non-translated sentences... I thought okay they are talking in French and in-between someone will explain what it means... Well, nope.

Sucks to be you - who don't know French haha...

Overall I will read the third one but coming from the 1 and 2 maybe i will be disappointed... I hope not

The Tindalos Asset

Here it is the third instalment on the series.

How is this horror, lovecraftian horor for that matter?

It took Caitlin a couple of years to release this novel and it shows... it's convoluted, confusing timelines and very strange characters. I didn't enjoy at all, even comparing with the previous 2 (and bear in mind all are bad..)

I would love to say something good but I cannot.

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Book Review: Open Season - C J Box

Author: C J Box
Book: Open Season
Year: 2001
Pages: 328
Part of Series: 1st of a series (21 so far)
Reading Time: 7 days (1 to 7 January 2022)
Rating: 8 stars

I will rate this book a 8.5 (so technically it's four stars but it's my ratings...)

I usually don't read this kind of novels of police procedure, mystery and crime. But after Brian Lee Durfee reviews I had to tried so I bought one and read it as the first novel of the year and I really enjoyed. First of all C J Box really know how to develop characters. You've got here Joe Pickett a perfect kind of guy, do gooder and a lovely father and husband. But as a story progress he meets adversities and although he sticks with his principles he knows that things have to change and he is willing to change to support his family. You really get to know him and his feelings.

Marybeth Pickett the lovely perfect wife - unfortunately didn't get much screen time but sure has her daemons - her mother being one and the two daughters Sheridan & Lucy while Lucy was just barely mentioned we get to know a lot of Sheridan 9 years of old and she was center piece to the story.

You are introduced to Wacey & Vern Dunnegan (the colleague and the mentor). There are a couple of more characters that I believe will be more develop in future books including April Keeley.

Why spoilers ahead?

Because I am going to talk about spoilers - this book was a criticism of American view on endangered species and control of them. So, you've got this endangered weasel and all of this novel is due to them. Basically the people who live there know if they find out that weasel (not a real one - although was based on really endangers ones) the law will do everything to protect it and people from the towns will lose jobs and even houses. To an extant I find that very interesting and hope is really true. Unfortunately there are so many intervenient within the govern that there isn't a centre of operations - you know the right hand is moving and the left one doesn't know (it's a saying in Portugal). MAybe it's the problem that USA is so vast that the rules that apply in one county/state don't make much sense in the other ? Like Portugal & Spain and latin brothers but we've got many differences and how we approach stuff - sorry I digress.

What I enjoy is that it's a solid novel with an end but I want to know more. How did the family recuperate the losing of an unborn child? I hope one future novel focus more on the couple. How did Sheridan overcome this tribulation after all, she was in the center and she blames herself for her mother taking a show and losing a child. And Pickett in the midst. Let us hope to see more of this. I will buy 2 & 3. If I love them I will continue, there are 22

Wednesday, June 08, 2022

Book Review:: Out are the Lights - Richard Laymon

Author: Richard Laymon
Book: Out are the Lights
Year: 1993
Pages: 344
Part of Series: Solo
Reading Time: 3 days (4 to 6 June 2022)
Rating: 7.5 stars

This is one novel with a bunch of short stories attach with it. I am currently reading one novel at a time by Laymon. I Started with some random books that I have and now I am going publication order.

This was okay book but not his best. You can see difference between this and other of his novels. This more straightforward to the point whereas later novels are more focus on characters and such.

Basically we've got here a couple which are in a loveless stuff. He finds a woman which he starts cheating and escaping doing all kind of weird stuff his girlfriend don't. She in the beginning behaves like a offended woman but soon changes and starts doing the same stuff has him. The only difference is that she got the nerves to break it up.

This is a convoluted stuff and it shows and people behave rather oddly and out of character. From the woman who beats the crap out of some teens and burns the vehicle, to the plot that goes nowhere and we don't know what happen (spoilers ahead - <spoiler>basically the woman he is cheating with runover the new love for our female main character making her investigating and even found out it out who did it but nothing happens to that plotline.</spoiler> . I know why this happens - it's because inbetween this romance gone bad situation - you got our main plotline of a couple of people making indie films that are not that make-belief.

Some short stories are pretty good mainly mess hall basically a story about a woman being kidnap by some mass murder and things go a bit of supernatural.

Dinker's Pond was not that interesting

Madman Stan is a very cool short story in the vein of RL Steine

Bad News and finally one of the bests The TUB - hidden sexcapades gone wrong. I really enjoyed it.

Overall it's a nice book but nothing too out of the box for Laymon, some romance, some sex scenes that make you embarrassed and some gore - to be honest one of the goreless of his novels so far.

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Book Review: Extinction - Ray Hammond

Author: Ray Hammond
Book: Extinction
Year: 2005
Pages: 600
Part of Series: Solo
Reading Time: 5 days (25 to 30 May of 2022)
Rating: 8.5 stars

Here we go. I started this novel on pure change. This novel was one of those schedule to read after I read the priority ones like 800 novels in the future - probably never.

I was rearranging my bookshelves and open this novel... On that page it talk about the demise of Azores which is in my country and there and then I decided I would read the novel. I was not mistaking. It took me 4 days to read 600 pages. Which is quite good for me.

Well so what this is about? Well if you have seen 2012 or the day after tomorrow you know the kind. Humanity in the future has been building weather stations and controlling the weather through a megacorporation.

This will have some spoilers...

They make rain and sun and all other type of weather to the highest bidder. So of course some people/countries suffer. Don't know how the world would accept that (united nations , china etc). Meanwhile the earth his suffering more eruptions, more strange behaviours from earth. People, some theory conspiracy guys, think it's due to the controlling stuff but they have no power for investigation. There is also a small plot dealing with people living on giant islands made of interconnected ships - they are the new refugees that no-one wants.

Meanwhile we meet our main protagonists. Michael a divorcee with two children and Emilia Knight a geologist. She encounters Michael son which is mathematic brain/astronomy and tell her about the changing stars. They find that the earth is moving - well the magnetic pole. Almost four hundred pages we deal with this investigation, some small cataclysms events, some thriller dealing with spies and so on.

The last 100 pages we are on the moon with USA president and now we see everything unfold - earth is completely destroyed but unfortunately the author doesn't dwell much on that. 20 pages to go and earth is lost or is it?

Of course the writter wanted to give us some pointers - first is the all man over nature stuff. We can't control weather or make companies do that lest we fall as humans. Then the all refugees stuff and plot. Remember The day after tomorrow? IS the same stuff. There is some sad stuff there (not the planet being destroyed) and some joy.

I enjoy the novel. Not going to my favourite list because everything here I've seen before. I believe this highly based on the the early 00's when a lot of movies like this were coming out.

I believe scientific speaking it sounds good but probably only a academic can say if everything here can happen. What I know is that the Chinese want to built something to make night turn day and to be honest that preocupies me. I can see the appeal but humanity and animals and plants live on a day/night cycle. They are not used to full day or night. Even in the nordic countries where that happen but can that explain the high suicide rate? Who knows...

What I can say it's a four stars but a weak 5. Like 8.5,

Recommended?

If you enjoy post apocalyptic novels go for it. If you want a more thriller stuff don't.

Monday, May 02, 2022

Brian Keene - Labyrinth Mythos

I've been reading Brian Keene for 17 years with the publish of Rising by Leisure Books.

I've read 19 of his novels and really enjoy the Labyrinth Mythos he created. I have not being enjoy his politics but fortunately they aren't that forceful that make me turn away like Stephen King. My main problem with him (not him per se, it was the the way books were publish - Basically he started with Leisure Books but then it close down. He then started publish by Deadite Press and those were avaiable to buy but a bit steep rise on the pay while the novel lenght diminuish. Then I got a bit away because they were evermore dificult to find.

So what did he publish and what I've read

The Rising (Read)
City of the Dead (Read)
The Rising: Selected Scenes From the End of the World (Read)
The Rising: Deliverance (Not Read - Don't Have)
The Fall (Coming Soon)

Earthworm Gods (Read)
Earthworm Gods 2 Deluge (Read)
Earthworm Selected Scenes From the End of the World (Read)

Levi Stoltzfus Series

Dark Hollow (Read) (don't know why this is a Levi since he doesn't enter
Ghost Walk (Not Read but Have)
A Gathering of Crows (Read)
The Last of the Albatwitches (Not Read - Don't Have)

Clickers II (Not Read - Don't Have)
Clickers III (Not Read - Don't Have)
Clickers vs Zombies (Not Read - Don't Have)
Rogan Series (Not Read - Don't Have)

Hole in the World (Not Read - But Have)
The Lost Level (Not Read - But Have)
The Chinese Beetle (Not Read - Don't Have)
Return to the Lost Level (Not Read - But Have)

The Labyrinth Series - Supposedly this will be a 7 part series or 5.

The Seven (Not Read - Recently Bought)
Submerged (Coming Soon)

Novelas / Other novels

Terminal (Not Read - Don't Have)
Ghoul (Not Read - Have)
Dead Sea (Read)
Shades (with Geoff Cooper) (Not Read - Don't Have)
Kill Whiteyl (Not Read - Have)
Darkness On the Edge of Town(Read)
Castaways (Read)
Urban Gothic (Read)
The Girl on the Glider (Not Read - Don't Have)
Entombed (Read)
Take the Long Way Home (Read)
Jack's Magic Beans (Read)
Scratch (Not Read - Don't Have)
The Damned Highway
Alone (Not Read - Don't Have)
The Cage(Read)
Sundancing (Not Read - Don't Have)
An Occurrence in Crazy Bear Valley (Not Read - Don't Have)
Sixty-Five Stirrup Iron Road (Not Read - Don't Have)
The Complex (Read)
Pressure (Not Read - Don't Have)
School's Out (Not Read - Don't Have)
White Fire (Read)

So let us see what more does it bring. The problem is with the amounts of books we read, some stuff we forget and so it's kind of hard keep remembering the connections between stories. Some are easy like in the complex, others are more difficult.

So a bit of information given by Brian Keene Faq

THE SEVEN: The Labyrinth, Book 1

That cover features Frankie (from THE RISING series), The Exit (from THE COMPLEX and various short stories), Teddy (from EARTHWORM GODS), Bloom (from various short stories), Tony (from the CLICKERS series and various short stories), LeHorn (from DARK HOLLOW), and Lucifer, last of the angels. Other characters from my mythos who appear in THE SEVEN but are not on the cover include Ob, Nodens, Kandara, Colonel Livingston (CLICKERS), Ochse (PRESSURE), The Sleepwalker, the Grim Reaper, and the Hellertown RHIC (location of the climactic final battle in THE RISING).

Thursday, April 14, 2022

40K novels - Will actualize...

Wednesday, April 06, 2022

Movie Review: Hunting Souls (2022)

I've been watching horror movies since - since I remember myself. I've now watch more than 1000 horror movies and it's my favourite genre.

What makes a bad movie? Well usually can be a combination of things, either the plot is boring, either the pace feels wrong, the monster is not that spooky and so on. There is also another that I really can't forgive and that's acting. This movie had two main characters and a child. There are other characters but they are mostly side and some only appear in one shot - like the medic or boss and so on.

So a house is being hunted by a astral being - probably some Lovecraftian monster that roams the astral planes - you know who I am speaking -the Dimensional Shambler.

The family is trying to work things out and so far so interesting but the acting is so cringe - first the young girl is feeling sick and they take her to hospital - WHY IS THE MOTHER IS THE FRONT SIT WHEN THE CHILD IS SICK IN THE BACKSIT? WTF?

Then the screaming in the hospital and the response from the nurse. Then odd stuff happens but the marriage couple don't speak AT ALL. a social worker had spoken with the mother and child and she didn't said anything to the husband? OH but I love you so much. Then the all stuff of nightmares and he hearing stuff but nobody talks. God forbid if they cooperate - because THEY LOVE SO MUCH ONE ANOTHER.

Then the ending.. Oh well.. Overall the story & plot it's okish but the acting is bad. 3/10

Monday, April 04, 2022

Book Review: Last Resort: Zombicide - Josh Reynolds

Author: Josh Reynolds
Book: Last Resort: Zombicid
Year: 2021
Pages: 360
Part of Series: Solo - Part of Zombicide Series.
Reading Time: 5 days - April of 2022
Rating: 6 stars

I've played Zombicide. It was one of the first boardgames I kickstarted then I sold it because it was boring as shit. Basically we've got a couple adventures and they must do X or Y. Meanwhile you've got zombies trying to get to you. Most are slow, some are runners and then there are big fatty boys/girls. Some you've got one hit and that's hit, but the big guys took a lot of hits/different more potent weapons.

But that's it. That's the game. Here it felt that, and kudos to Josh Reynolds accomplishment on portraying a game in a book. You've got a couple of people who must go from point A to B so they can find a new place to live meanwhile they fight the undead and the living as well. Basically Walking Dead.

You've got some interesting characters, Westlake, our main protagonist is basically a cunning thief that is on a path of revenge but at the same time help other people, not because he wants butt it's better , safety in numbers. You got some other interesting characters. As someone point out, some died - again walking dead and the mission is complete. But you already know the ending- the best is the journey and characterization.

If they release more , I don't know if I will buy them but IT was good. It felt like that sunday movie you watch but coming monday you don't really remember what was about, or the name of characters.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

TV Series Review: The Reason I Can't Find Love (2011)

Well, here we go... That's a day of my life I will not return.

7.5 rating on MyDramaList and I think either people are hopeless romantics or idiots.

The story is the following; you've got 4 girls in different stages of life and ages that are trying to love.

Each one is dealing with different problems. Our main character is working on a company where she is well respected and his childhood's friend return from abroad. But he is marrying a young girl. Of course she loves him.

Then we've got a young teen who never really fell in love and falls for the wrong guys - twice.

You've got a older woman who is married but each live in their own house - odd.

And the last one is a girl who hasn't discover her place in working envirorment OR love.

So we've got this gals here, all searching for the same thing but in their wake, other people suffer, in other they are the ones to suffer.

I know they are niponic therefore their culture is different. There is a lot of men taking advantages over woman, one of them even sleep with a guy so she can enter a job. But in the end, all characters really fell flat - except one.

The first one, for all 10 episodes wanted to date her best friend, dated for a while a guy who was a pearl of a person and destroyed his heart. In the end after, he even broken with his fiance (mutual) and declaring love for one another she basically said - fuck it. IF I follow you it will not be my dreams. I can understand the thinking of "maybe I love you or not" BUT here is done in a way that really fell as she was undecided teen. And although I understand I don't accept her being a nice character. Good for her for finding a good place BUT no.

The second woman, is the only one that really fall in love and I can respect her. She was young, was mistaken, people mistaken her so I can stand by her. Glad she found peace and love.

The third girl is the typical nowadays modern woman. Live for work and put love in second place, going so far as not wanting to live in the same house of her husband. But when the internal clock starts beating she suddenly wants her husband back... the husband has fallen for the fourth woman. So during the next episodes basically is the guy deciding if he should follow new love OR stay with his wife. He was never truly a bad person and really try to understand his way but in the end he hurts the fourth woman, the fourth woman in turn sleeps with a guy to get a job - so she is not without fault and the third woman as I said it's a person who sees the guy as a mean to have children.

Bah. I am disappointed...

Sunday, March 06, 2022

Book Review: Kothar and the Magic Sword by Gardner F Fox (Kothar #2 out of 5)

Author: Gardner F Fox
Book: Kothar and the Magic Sword
Year: 1969
Pages: 154
Part of Series: 2nd Novel of 5.
Reading Time: 3 days - february of 2022
Rating: 6 stars

This is the second novel on the series and we follow Kothar on his adventures. Well on this book we expect some kind of conflict from Sorceress Red Lori which was imprisoned by Kothar on book one but being a sorceress she tells Kothar that is going to follow him and curse him.

He and his trusted magic sword Frostfire (cursed making him never be wealthy).

There are two stories, the second story has more Red Lori and it's more interesting than the first one.

There isn't that much to talk about this.

I don't think this is a clone of Conan or clonan. It's fairly interesting tales and the guy is fairly different from Conan in many regards.

I did enjoy it, and will be continue to read the next ones.

The first tale is about a mercenary job and save a girl while the second advances the plot for the red lori and kothar. I will be reading the following novels.

Saturday, March 05, 2022

Book Review: Dark Hollow - Brian Keene (The Levi Stoltzfus Series)

Not the cover of the book I have but better

Author: Brian Keene
Book: Dark Hollow
Year: 2006
Pages: 305
Part of Series:
The Levi Stoltzfus Series #1 (HAHA - No it's not)
Reading Time: 5 days (Between February and March of 2022)
Rating: 7 Stars

I am undecided between 7 or 8 stars. First of all, the all being Levi Stolzfus is wrong. That character doesn't appear in this book at all, unless it has an alias.

Well, so what is this book about? This book deals with a couple of normal people dealing with a supernatural element. Adam Senft is the main character. He is a writer dealing with several frustrations at the same time, first not being able to start a new novel; second being sexual frustration due to the alienation of his wife. They were happy married but after two pregnancy that went very wrong they start distance themselves, slowing drifting apart sexually.

In that street there are a bunch of people, the bachelor of 40's, the elderly couple, the funny guy who recently lost his wife (not dead but she cheated on her and left him) and so on.

Right from the bat, we get thrown into some weird stuff -

"It was on the first day of spring that Big Steve(dog) and I saw Shelly Carpenter giving head to the hairy man"

This is the first line, and the book starts showing us what is happening and so on. Not that graphic. I saw Brian Lee Durfee review and I Think he never read splatter horror stuff. this is pretty mild in my opinion.

So basically from this moment on, people start disappearing, hooves (like in goats and such) starts appearing nearing houses and other small stuff happens like pipes music being heard and everyone getting aroused and such. What we get from each consequent chapter is that group of people trying to find out what is happening connecting to the great Mythos Brian Keene created (although very mildly - you don't need to read anything by him to understand).

Is it good? Is it worthy?

Welll, yes and no. If you've read like me a dozen of his novels, then yes, it's worth to see one more book within that mythos - although after reading it I find it fairly skippable since the links are very few. In regard of horror novel per se, I've read better and worse. If you want to start reading a brian Keene novel I wouldn't start with this one and go to the City of the Dead/Rising duology or even the conqueror worms. They are way better and really connect to the his mythos. The Darkness Edge of Town as well. Enfin, I will read the second - Ghost Walk in the coming months.

IF you are asking me, is it graphic nudity/sex scenes or gore?

Some spoilers ahead

I don't think so. There are some sex scenes with satyrs (beastiality?). There are some depicting scenes of horror and gore but nothing that much detailed. I've read far worse. His despiction of Shelly is awesome - wish I could see her in real life.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Movie Review: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022

I really love watching horror movies. Chainsaw Massacre franchise I enjoy some - others not that much. In an era of remakes - this is another one that bites the dust.

When I Watch my Horror stories I want to feel the thrill, the suspense or the gore (depends of the novel) I don't want to talk about nowadays politics. Just in the ten minutes of the movie, you've two girls (sisters) plus a multicultural couple - because you know. Then they meet a generic white guy which has a gun and one of the sisters complains (without any provocation at all) that why he has that gun - must be to compensate for something else). The guy doesn't even get bother and say something that is for protection of some pests. Then afterwards they see the police and of course the all " hold your hands, I am black person unless I get shoot attitude" and the police officer is just helping them get to the place without losing themselves. Then they arrive to the deep texas town and alas what do you have on display? The confederation flag. Then an insane woman calling the black guy negroe. Enfin, then I give up. I jump to the end and unfortunately only one of the sister survived. I hope for death to them all.

WHY do you do this? Looking back, maybe the director, producer or writer wanted just that. Kill off this new generation of offended people. But alas it upset me at such level I couldn't give up 1h30 of my life for it.

Are good movies a thing of the past?

Tell me a of a remake that was a success?

1 star

Saturday, June 18, 2022

Horimiya 10 Stars

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu 10 Stars

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season 10 Stars

Hataraku Saibou Black (TV) 9 Stars

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2 8 Stars

Kaifuku Jutsushi no Yarinaoshi 8 Stars

Dr. Stone: Stone Wars 8 Stars

Hataraku Saibou!! 8 Stars

Tokyo Revengers 9 Stars

86 8 Stars

Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san 8 Stars

Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou. 8 Stars

Meikyuu Black Company 9 Stars

Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken 2nd Season Part 2 8 Stars

Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid 8 Stars

Heion Sedai no Idaten-tachi 8 Stars

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki 8 Stars

Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2 9 Stars

Ousama Ranking 9 Stars

Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu. 8 Stars

Mieruko-chan 8 Stars

Sekai Saikou no Ansatsusha, Isekai Kizoku ni Tensei suru 8 Stars