I have to give Jim Butcher credit for his punny titles – I almost wonder if he starts with the title and develops a story to fit it. In this fourth volume of The Dresden Files, Harry finds himself getting perhaps more deeply involved than he would prefer with the realm of the fairies. While most of the books in this series so far have featured fairies to some extent and certainly set the baseline definition of what these creatures are in the Dresden-verse, Summer Knight puts Harry right in the middle of a fairy-realm power struggle. Read more “Summer Knight”
Author: SilentBen
Not often silent, but undoubtedly always Ben.
Grave Peril
Demons and sorcerers? No problem. Werewolves of several varieties? Piece of cake. Now how about some ghosts, a conniving fairy godmother, and a den of vampires – maybe a little more challenging than usual. But at least this time Harry gets a little help from some friends (which seem to include a reporter/girlfriend, a holy knight, and an incubus). In Jim Butcher’s third installment of The Dresden Files – Grave Peril – Harry once again starts off in the heat of the action. And as usual Harry’s luck tends to carry him from one frying pan into yet another inferno. Read more “Grave Peril”
I Watch(ed) the Watchmen
I’ve been an on again off again comic book fan – never a die-hard, but always an appreciator of the form in the least. And while I like many of the DC heroes, I tend to read more in the Marvel universe – there is a gritty realism there that the DC realm sometimes lacks. One glaring exception to this rule is the mini-series arc from the 1980’s entitled Watchmen by Alan Moore. I personally only read the series sometime last year around the time that I first learned there was a film being adapted from it. It was dark, visceral, and exposed and exploited many of the flaws and brutalities of humanity and through all that it was beautiful and well crafted. And yesterday I saw the film … in full IMAX glory. Read more “I Watch(ed) the Watchmen”
Mid-season Status Report
Ok, I guess it isn’t really the middle of the television season, per se. But really with how things seem to run these days, how could one truly pin down a mid-point? Some shows started their season as early as September while others started in January – still others seem to be coming back in March. So who knows. The bottom line is that I feel like reviewing the shows that I watch in summary. So here I go: Read more “Mid-season Status Report”
If Only I Had Insomnia
Tonight is the fifth night that I have been awake until 3:00 AM or later and it is catching up with me. I wish that I could say that I’ve been up doing something fun. I wish that I could say that I’ve been up doing something productive and worthwhile. I would even be content to be able to say that I’ve been up because I wasn’t tired and couldn’t get to sleep or because my kids have kept me up. No, unfortunately this series of late nights have been work-related and the majority of that work has been waiting and monitoring. Read more “If Only I Had Insomnia”