It’s been almost a year and a half since my last post. And it’s been a crazy time for me, a lot has been going on in my life recently. But now that it’s calming down a little I’m back and with my return I’m bringing my first published novel with me, Dead Man’s Hand...

My first exposure to Brandon Sanderson’s writing was his Mistborn trilogy. Which was so well written and such a unique story that I searched out his writing. During this search I came across his first published work, Elantris, and I immediately added it to my library. The book may have sat on my digital bookshelf for a while before I read it, but that was only because I had so much other reading to do...

Could I have discussed The Peacekeeper Wars mini-series with Farscape? Probably. They feature the same characters with the same past but there is a more foreboding atmosphere to the special that did not exist in the main show. This two hour special most likely would have formed the basis for the shows fifth season had it not been canceled...

There are very few authors that spur me to purchase their books on the day they are released. One author, well at this point the only author that I will do this for, is Brandon Sanderson. Whenever I see one of his novels, novellas or short stories I immediately have a strong desire to place my hard earned money into his pocket. He is a phenomenal author; in every story of his that I have read he manages to place me into the worlds he creates...

Sorry for the rant. But what is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the words ‘The Washington Redskins’? I would think that, for most people, it would be the professional football team that plays in Landover, Maryland, while calling Washington DC their home. But after reading over a dozen articles that say the name is racist, I began to wonder if that was the only thing that pops into people’s minds...

When it comes to audio books, I have only one destination, audible.com. They have an incredible collection of books to choose from. And since they are an Amazon company there are some very nice tie-ins with their Kindle platform. However, when it comes to the book’s narrator these tie-ins are not all that relevant. More than likely people who do not routinely listen to audio books will assume that a fantastic book will make a fantastic audio performance...

Clean was written by Alex Hughes and centers around an unnamed powerful telepath. He had been very influential in the Guild, an autonomous group of telepaths, prior to the start of the book. Fortunately for his development he has a pretty serious flaw, he is an addict. Over the course of the novel we discover that his drug was originally an experiment by the Guild. However, just because he was an addict was not the cause for his washing out of the Guild...

What is the first thing you think of when someone mentions the Kindle? Me, I think of Amazon’s first generation electronic reader (e-reader), and then I quickly run through the newer models. Amazon changed more than just how books were read with their Kindle platform; they changed how books are brought to the reader...

How often do we romanticize our experiences as children? There are a few shows that I remember doggedly following, trying never to miss a second of the story. And looking back at them now I simply do not understand why I was so enamored with them. I still mostly enjoy watching the shows, out of some misguided sense of nostalgia; but, the love I had for the story has long since faded...

Before I read it the first time, a friend told me that it was a similar kind of story to the Princess Bride. Prior to reading a single word, I was hooked. He had compared it to one of my all-time favorite movies, and a very good book, so I instantly picked it up and read it...

I first purchased the Eye of the World back sometime when I was in college, if not before. It sat on my shelf for a couple of years before I decided to read it; that was probably in my early junior or late sophomore year. I was barely able to read it. I struggled to read it, while I gorged myself on Terry Goodkind’s work. Now fast forward to February of 2011: I purchased the audio version of the book...

Not only do his actions destroy his honor, they also show his lack of compassion towards a fellow comrade. Already having likened Odysseus to the Spartans, Sophocles implies that the Spartans have no honor or compassion for their allies or fellow citizens. This is further use of propaganda to bolster the morale of the Athenians and to slander the Spartans. Making them out to be self-centered honor less men, who only care for themselves, they will use and abandon any of their allies...

How many times have we heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? And how many times have we completely disregarded that advice? I am willing to bet that everyone, myself included, has at least once in their lives judged a book by its cover, or at least its cover art. You only get to make a first impression once; I know it is a cliché but that does not dull the truth of its meaning...

After capturing the bow from Philoctetes, Neoptolemus starts to feel ashamed by his actions and wishes to make amends (p.203, Philoctetes). In response to Odysseus’s question of where he was off to, Neoptolemus tells him, “To undo the wrong that I have already done”, (p. 203, Philoctetes). Confused, Odysseus asks Neoptolemus, “What wrong are you talking about” (p. 203, Philoctetes)?..

Odysseus’ lack of bravery appears again in Sophocles’ Philoctetes. He is unwilling to be in line of sight of Philoctetes, who is one of the best archers in all of Greece. In addition to Philoctetes skill with the bow, he wields Heracles’ bow along with the arrows tipped in the Hydra’s blood (p. 364, Powell). So, Odysseus instead sends Neoptolemus to meet Philoctetes and trick both the bow and the man into coming to Troy (p. 165, Philoctetes)...