The Flash, the television series

I was skeptical about watching the Flash on Netflix. I had never read the comic book so didn't have a clue what to expect. It is amazing! Really, I would recommend to anyone who likes action/hero themed television shows or movies. Coming in to this series without any pre-knowledge wasn't a hinderance to watching the Flash.

The series starts at the beginning on how he obtained the super power of speed. There is also background on his life and as the series progresses, you see the background of the other characters as well. It's funny yet it can be very sad that it can make a grown man teary eyed. The only problem I had with this series was the way the character of Barry Allen, the Flash was developed. He could be so emotional and not think things through. I also found some holes in the script as I watched the series. I figured some clues out before the characters did. But I have to say it was a thought provoking series, really. My husband and I would discuss what was happening and share our thoughts about some of the mysteries in the series, like who Dr. Wells really is or who is the Reverse Flash.

What is nice about the Flash, is that the first season dealt with one problem with a cliff hanger then the second season started with the cliff hanger and introduced another villain. We watched the second season on Amazon Prime since we don't have cable so now we"ll have to wait a year to see it again which is a bummer! I can't wait till season 3!

Star Wars graphic novels

Star Wars has become again a popular franchise with the advent of the movie opening of Star Wars: Force Awaken. This has spun-off comic books and graphic novels that I'm really enjoy reading. What I liked about the series is the characters look like the actors in the movies. It's familiar and the character development was much like the original Star Wars movies.  Each of these spin-offs has a comic book series but I rather read the full novel than buy the individual comics, basically the graphic novel is a little cheaper than buy each individual comic, I like the feel and look of the novels. The illustrations in the novels is beautiful and the story lines are really good too.

Star Wars: Skywalker Strikes graphic novel takes place after the rebels have blown up the Death Star in "New Hope". Luke is having troubles controlling the force which is reasonable since he just learned he had the power. The rebels have a mission to Tatooine to blow up the weapons factory there but as usual the mission doesn't go as planned. Later Luke goes to Obi-Wan Kenobi's old place to learn more about his mentor. As this time, Darth Vadar doesn't know who Luke is until he sends Boba Fett to Tatooine for information.












Darth Vader graphic novel is very interesting since this is about him and his relationship with the Emperior, Darth Sidious. There are also scenes from his past when he was Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi with Padme Amidala.










If you're a fan of the Star Wars Rebels anime that is running through the Disney Channel,
the graphic novel Kanan: The Last Padawan is a must read. We actually get to see his beginnings before and after the Clone Wars. He was just a Padawan when his master is killed by clone troupers and had to survive on his own.

I really enjoyed these comic graphic novels because it gives you some information about the characters form the movies and what they were doing in between each episode (or film).

Doctor Who, Season 9 episode 2 "Witch's Familar" part 2

"Witch's Familiar" what an odd name for this episode, is the Doctor the witch with Clara as his familiar or is it Missy to the Doctor? I'm not sure but it was an exciting episode. Recap, Davros is dying and wants to talk to the Doctor. Missy and Clara have been exterminated by the Daleks in episode 1 but the opening scene in episode 2 has Clara tied upside down outside the Dalek compound with Missy saying how peckish she is then starts explaining how they're still alive. She tells a story about how the Doctor escaped death by using a similar trick.
Davros and the Doctor are talking, there's some dream sequence of the Doctor pointing a Dalek gun at the young Davros. Davros is spouting regrets and we see the Doctor eventually soften to the Dalek leader. We, as a viewer are soften to Davros's words, but we know where he came from and why he made the Daleks so we shouldn't be. Spoiler alert! The Doctor is not moved and in the end outwits Davros. It was a really good episode, I was taken aback by Davros's knowledge of the Doctors past and at the inference that he travels the universe to escape Galifray.

Doctor Who: episode 1, part 1

What a strange trip the Doctor is on this season 9 premiere! Starts out with Missy (Master) doing some bad stuff to get Clara and Units attention. Where's the Doctor everyone wants to know?
They find him somewhere in Medieval times and rocking out with an electric guitar on top of a army tank. Wow, what a beginning.
Another twist is Davros as a little boy who is in need of help. Then Davros is on his "deathbed" and sends out a creature to look for the Doctor.  Clara and Missy find the Doctor in a most dangerous situation and in a most dangerous planet.This is a two part episode so we will see how the Doctor gets out of this predicament.
I have to say that I'm getting to like this new Master. I didn't care for her last season but she's growing on me. I am totally over Clara. She's become too attached to this Doctor that is very unhealthy if this was real life. Is she a kinda of girl friend? Or a parent/child relationship? I think it's time for a new companion, an alien would be cool like how Tom Baker's Doctor had Leela, Adric, and Romana (she was another time lord), and Peter Davison had multiple companions 3 at a time.
 But we will see how this season goes. For now, I can't give out too many spoilers for those who didn't watch the season's opener.

Book review of Resurrection: A Col Sec thriller by Jan Domagala novel

Resurrection is another novel in the Col Sec series by Jan Domagala.  In this novel, the Wildfire Team along with Kurt Stryder and Zara Hardy are going back to the planet Tartaran. They have to stop the Elysium Alliance for gaining knowledge from the research done on the planet that they deem as dangerous technology in the wrong hands. This novel has two running stories, one with the wildfire team and another with a member of the team, Matt.  Matt is on another mission that has him following Tara Wilde, the clone daughter of Jonas Wilde. She murdered her father in the last book and has taken over OMEGA. We also get to know some characters from the Alliance; Major Solon, who is the son of General Solon from “Discovery”, General Tillic, and Senator Tovaric.   The two storylines eventually converge on the planet Tartaran.  

This novel is one of Jan Domagala’s best because of the two story lines and of the two opposing perspectives. He does a wonderful job transitioning between stories. The theme of this book of two opposing governments, one with advanced technology not wanting the other to know about or have is reminiscent of what’s going on in our world. This is another really fast paced book and one that I would recommend especially if you have read his other stories in the Col Sec series.

Book Review of "Extintion: A Col Sec novel by Jan Domagala"

Extinction is the 5th book in the Col Sec series by Jan Domagala. The story is a bridge between Jan Domagala’s Retribution novel and next book, Resurrection.  The Recon Delta headed by General Sinclair is on another vital mission, saving the world from a computer virus. 

The background story is 25 years earlier in a research facility on Tarsus II.  The head of research at this lab is Doctor Henkel, who was in charge of developing a program that stimulates certain areas of the brain via the NI. Most citizens in this universe have NI, a neural implant that gives them direct access to computer databases and communications. But  this program was coded to search other NI and link with it then download the program. It became viral that any infected person can transfer the program to any others with a NI implant.  This virus was designed to make the super soldier with increased testosterone and endorphins but it also increases aggression to the point of uncontrollable rage. To contain the computer virus the research facility was abandoned and put under quarantine with no one allowed to enter.  

While in Col Sec, Jonas Wilde leader of OMEGA, used his security clearance to delve into the sensitive files and found out about the project on Tarsus II.  The action begins with OMEGA infiltrating the Tarsus II facility. They plan to release the virus via an array that is connected to the computer. Once the array is functional it will then target the military base on Tarsus Prime with the intention of the virus spreading throughout the human population.  Alarms are triggered and the base leaps into action. The only problem is that only a handful of top personal know about the severity of what the facility on Tarsus II holds. General Sinclair is alerted and quickly notifies one of his Recon Delta teams which happens to be on Tarsus Prime. They are  looking for a new candidate to join Red Team.  Will they be able to save the world? Read Extinction to find out.

Extinction is a shorter read than the previous books of Jan Domagala and it isn’t as fast paced either but the action picks up towards the end the book.  There are new characters in this book but I feel they will be in other stories of Domagala’s Col Sec series.   I would like to see more character development but I realize that these books are crisis driven stories with little time to really know the main players.  Domagala gives enough background information that Extinction could be read as a stand alone book.  I recommend this book because it’s a good science fiction story with action.

Book review: Retribution; A Col Sec Series, Book 4

Retribution is the fourth book in the Col Sec series by Jan Domagala and is a continuation from the last book, Discovery.  It begins with Zara Hardy, who wakes up as a captive of the terrorist group, OMEGA. She remembers being held captive by an Alliance operative, Pavel Norsky who shot her dead. She also remembered being bled on by Kurt Stryder and with her knowledge of the damages that he can endure, it causes Zara to want to know more about her own abilities. Pavel Norsky is also back from the dead and wants revenge. She escapes her captives and finds her way back to Kurt Stryder.

All the members of  Col Sec Recon Delta team are on leave after the Tartaran rescue mission and each is confronted with bodily harm by strangers that are similar in appearance. They are being assessed on their abilities of their genetic enhancements.

Later in the book, we are given more information about the terrorist group, OMEGA. OMEGA is always one step ahead of the team, you know the saying, “The good guys always win.”  The problem with that scenario is OMEGA is playing by their own rules and haven’t told the Col Sec team how to play.  Another problem for Col Sec is the seemingly unlimited resources at OMEGA’s disposal. The main force are made up of clones with major resources for the best weapons.

The Wildfire Team and Kurt Stryder are able to counter each attack by OMEGA and find an outpost on the Moon, but not the secret headquarters on the planet RH426. The climax of the book is suspenseful with a last minute escape of our heros, Kurt Stryder and Zara Hardy, even though we all know that very few authors kill off their main characters. There's a surprise at the end for the head of OMEGA, Jonas Wilde that will cause more trouble for Col Sec in the future.

It’s a very action packed book and an easy read.  I like that Domagala put thought into character development with this being a series we will probably see them again in future books. The dialogue between characters is believable.  And with each book, the characters personalities are recognizable, there is a familiar quality to them. You want the Col Sec team to win over adversity and want the bad guys to be obliterated. But you know that having the villain get away makes for a known adversary in the next book.  The issues that I had in the previous book weren’t apparent in this one. The transition between scenarios was more fluid and smooth. I like that Domagala has a few female characters in the series that aren’t one dimensional. All though, they aren’t average looking women but buffed and beautiful.

I will read his next book in the series since I’m invested in the characters. I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading action science fiction.

Book Review, Havoc: The Dred Chronicles, Book 2 by Ann Aguirre

Ann Aguirre is a science fiction writer whose characters tend to be strong women in dangerous situations. This novel isn’t an exception, Havoc is about a prison ship called Perdition, drifting in space. It’s where dangerous criminals are sent for life. The prisoners have the run of the prison, where the strongest have carved out territory and strictly enforce their rule.

Desdemona Devos or “Dred” is the leader of Queensland. She is a strong woman who has a secret, she has psi abilities. She used it to kill which is why she is an inmate on Perdition. Her second is Jael, a enhanced humanoid, grown in a laboratory which makes him hard to kill. Along  with an inner circle, they try keep Queensland from falling under another gang’s attack. They are always in survival mode.

In this second book, the Conglomerate have sent mercenaries to Perdition to wipe out the inmates with a sucker’s guarantee of freedom to the last man standing. Dred and her followers know in their hearts that it’s a trap so they are on the offensive to stay alive against all odds.

The mercenaries soon realize that this isn’t as easy as they were told, the ragtag prisoners are fighting back.

It's a fast paced book with multiple character insight. It's a strange twist that you get engaged in their desperate situation that you will be routing for the Queensland convicts. Her characters have a likeable human quality which isn't far removed from the readers view point. If you take away why they were put in prison, they are just people fighting trying to survive. The author gets into the psyche of her characters, we understand their reluctance for intimacy and friendship but they will surprise each other with their loyalty of the Dread Queen. I haven't read the first novel, Perdition but Ann Aguirre fills in the gaps so the reader is able to follow the story.  I recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed reading Ann Aguirre’s other novels.

Discovery: A Col Sec Novel: Volume 3 by Jan Domagala

I have read many science fiction books over the years and I would say that “Discovery” is a good representation of this genre.

The Colonial Confederation and Elysium Alliance are two opposing governments that for decades have been at war over the colonization of planets but are now at an uneasy truce.

The main character, Kurt Stryder, is an ex-military black operations soldier with Recon Delta in the Confederation. He is genetically enhanced with regenerative abilities which makes it hard to kill him.  He can also access any computer using NI, a Neural Interface.  

Kurt is grieving for his lover Zara Hardy, who was killed somehow, and is in turmoil over his decision to leave the Recon Delta unit.  So he books a room on a luxury liner, the Colonial Queen. There we are introduced to Prince Aswan, the son of a very rich and powerful man, who has booked most of the rooms on the ship and has persuaded the Captain of the cruise liner to make a quick stop.

The ship makes its unplanned jump to the Taranan Battlefield, “the largest debris field in the galaxy” which is a Forbidden Zone due to high radiation levels from a major battle.  The field is also the hiding place for pirates, whom board the ship and murder passengers. Kurt manages to escape the ship with Prince Aswan and his bodyguard, Natasha Garvey, who is military trained for diplomatic security. They are the only survivors.

General Sinclair is another character who heads the Recon Delta and Col Sec Intelligence Division on Earth. The Recon Delta team are also genetically enhanced, they one group that will take part in the rescue operation at Taranan Battlefield.

The majority of the book is about the rescue mission on the planet, which is in the vicinity of the battlefield.  Kurt Stryder has many questions about the planet, the Taranan Battlefield, and his arising abilities that gets answered by the end of the book.

I thought “Discovery” was an easy reading book. I have read books which delve into similar scenarios before but Jan Domagala has some surprises, especially the epilogue cliff hanger.

Domagala successfully transports the reader to a possible future with genetic enhancements, war between two super factions, and the politics that runs these governments.

This novel isn’t a stand alone story.  While reading the book, I felt like I was missing some information that is probably in one of the previous books.  The author explained some of the history of this period in later chapters but it wasn’t enough, and the transition between scenarios wasn’t conveyed well.  As the reader, I was confused with some of the jumps from one scene to another.   The author did this a few times but eventually I was able to catch on.

I would recommend this story even with some of the quirks in Jan Domagala’s writing, and would like to read a sequel because the ending peaked my interest.  I need to know what happens next.

Netflix Produces Anime

If your like most people, Netflix has become the top streaming Internet viewing source. It has also become a producer of original programming especially in Anime. The Knights of Sidonia is an anime acquisition by Netflix with sole licensing for streaming. It was first released in Japan then release in the U.S. a month later probably so we had all the episodes available. It is a manga by Tsutomu Nihei who is also the artist for Blame!, NOISE, and Biomega.

The Knights of Sidonia is about the future of the humans where Earth was destroyed by alien beings called the Gauna. Sidonia is their ship and is a piece of Earth where inside humanity resides.  The people have been in space for a thousand years and have been genetically engineered to photosynthesize, are asexual, and the youngsters are trained as pilots to combat the foe.

The hero is a low-born youth, Nagate who has lived with his grandfather underground. The series follows him as he navigates through Sidonia's culture and his inevitable recruitment as a pilot. As the series unfolds we learn more about him and about the original citizens of Sidonia.

I would recommend this fast pace anime but it's not care free, funny, it can be very heartbreaking with the deaths of Nagate's fellow pilots.

Another Netflix anime series that I really enjoyed is The Devil is a Part-timer. It's a funny anime about the Devil King (Sadao Maou) who is from another dimension called Ente Isla where he is moments away from conquering the world when the Hero arrives and foils his plans. He and his General Alciel are caught in a vortex that transports him to modern day Toyko. He soon realizes that he has no magic in Tokyo but his ambitions are the same take over this new world. It's not until he has to live among the common folk that he starts having feelings that he's never had before. He cares what happens to them especially Chiho Sasaki who is a fellow employee at McDonald's fast food restaurant. With his personality for domination he becomes a conscientious employee and he works hard for his pay. General Alciel (Shiro Ashiya) becomes the house caretaker with duties of grocery shopping, making dinner, and still on the Satan's beckon call while on a budget.

Meanwhile the Hero (Emi Yusa) is also in modern day Tokyo and is following Satan. She can't believe he has changed his ways from Ente Isla. She is quick to temper, suspicious, and has a job as a call center agent.

There are other characters that are pieces of the ensemble that become friends. The dichotomy of the characters from Ente Isla are shown with them working together in modern day. The Hero sees the irony of their life as they struggle with the day to day business in Tokyo.

Psycho-Pass is another anime I would recommend. It's set in the future of Japan where your psyche is measured daily by monitors on the streets of the city. The system is called Sybil.  There is a range that registers the individual as normal but if the number gets too high that person is now deemed dangerous to society is either locked up or terminated on the spot with a gun the police carry that changes power from stun to death. The main character is Akane Tsunemori, a rookie cop who also has a perfect psyche no matter what her emotions are. The force is made up of people with perfect psyche and enforcers who are used as police dogs. It's that adage of "It takes one to know one" is why these people are enforcers. Their criminal mind can profile the ones their after. Akane, is that caring individual who has feelings for an enforcer,  Shinya Kogami who was once a police officer but his psyche went too high. He thinks like a criminal and is also a "Dirty Harry" type that takes things in his own hands 

I'm hoping Netflix buys the rights for the next seasons of these animes.

The Season Finale Episode of True Blood: Total Disaster!

True Blood has come into our lives and now is gone forever. I would be so sad if not for the finale episode was one of the worst I ever watched! Truely, the writers could have come up with a better ending. I will tell you my ideas that would have at least satisfied most of the vigalent viewers.

First scenario would be that Sookie wakes up from a coma and realizes that she had dreamed about vampires. Remember in the first season Sookie is beaten up by the Rattray couple? Bill gives her som some of his blood and saves her life. What if that never happened? Sam could have found her and called 911. 

Second scenario, Bill becomes HUMAN again. He was a God for awhile in season 6 as the chosen one by Lilith, the first vampire.  In the finale, Bill is dying from contractind the EIP V from Sookie but I thought that the Governor who sabotaged all the True Blood drinks wouldn't have wanted to endanger mankind with this disease. I realize that viruses mutate but vampires are dead and not human so you wouldn't think it would jump species. I know I'm getting to technical when this is just make believe, but I do want a little bit of common sense even in a television series. With Sookie being Fae, the disease shouldn't have gotten it and who did she contract it from? It wasn't revealed in the episode and remember she was able to hear Bill's thoughts when she never could listen to the minds of vampires. I was disappointed when she helped in his suicide.

I like the ending of the book series by Charlaine Harris, Sookie realizes that she has always loved Sam and Sam has always loved her so they end up together in the finale book. She has had many difficult relationships with vampires in the book. In the book series Sookie and Eric Northman are a couple but he later gets betrothed to another vampire. So Sookie turns to Sam. I know that in the television show, Sam has a pregnant girlfriend, Nicole who is human and leaves Bon Temps with her so to raise their child in a less chaotic place.

So in conclusion I just have to say to all television series writers of television shows that were based on a popular sci-fi/fantasy books is don't be in a hurry to to tell the final episode.  The ending needs to make sense to the audience. I know there has to be creative license but the finale of True Blood was a disaster, very sloppy and hastily written. 

An After Look of Denver Comic Con 2014

Logo property of Denver Comic Con

Denver Comic Con 2014 ended with a roar, what a great place for cosplay, sitting in panels, seeing celebrities, and buying great stuff at the trade show.

This years comic con was very large compared to recent years. It has grown exponentially since inception 3 years ago. Yes, this comic con is very young compared to other cities. It's also the only one that is associated with a community charity, Comic Book Classroom.

Trade show area.

Trade show area.

It was three day full of cosplay, panels, trade show, and comic book art.  I went to a few of the Doctor Who panels but missed the 75th Anniversary of Batman with guest panelist, Adam West, Bruce Ward, and Julie Newmar.

The Doctor Who panels were with Peter Davison, the 5th Doctor and Sylvester McCoy, the 7th Doctor. It was funny as well as informative.  They answered questions from the audience and both were quite humorous with funny banter.

My grandson who is an expert on the Classic Doctor Who trivia was a panelist on two panels: Big Finish Audio and Life Lesson from the Doctor. He did a marvelous job in his knowledge of Doctor Who and in his ability to address the audience.

The trade show was very impressive with such a large selection of vendors that it was overwhelming. The artist alley was more subdued but impressive with the artist of Adventure Time and Bravest Warriors on hand drawing new covers for their comics. I watch them both online. This is the first time I've seen them in comic book form.

There was a display from Weta Experience, a five-time award conceptual and effects company from New Zealand was there to showcased art, collectibles, prop replicas, and merchandise from Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin, The Chronicles of Narnia, District 9, Elysium and other films.  There was a life size replicas of Gandalf, Thorin, and Azog, the Orc Chieftain.


















Cosplay

Dark Lords of the Sith.

Futurama: Amy Wong, Leela, and Fry

X-Men

Corpse Bride characters.

Doctor Who.

Anime characters of Fooly Cooly.

Darth Vadars.

Boba Fett and other bounty hunters.

Crunchyroll watching anime and Japanese drama

I have really getting into watching anime but it was difficult to find the right source to watch them through.  Netflix has only a small amount of anime and most are older or only has a few seasons. My daughter told me about Crunchyroll where she watches anime on her PC.  I found the Crunchyroll app for iPad to be a wonderful source for watching anime.

Crunchyroll started as an online site for Asian TV in 2008 where fans uploaded their favorite shows this was during height of the free downloading without the licensing.  The owners of Crunchyroll on a trip to Japan were able to convince the largest anime publisher, TV Tokyo, with an offer of direct streaming of Japanese shows. They expressed to the publisher that there was a large fan base in the US who were willing to support the anime industry.

Payment through subscriptions or through adds for free members are distributed on the anime that the viewer watches. Lets say you watch only Naruto then that show will get all the percentage from your subscription or through the ads. In the article I read, it didn't say how much goes to the publishers but it must be good for Crunchyroll has over 40 simulcasts this season. It has become international with less than 50% of total members and there's a gender split of 50-50 among the users.

The Crunchyroll is PC and iOS friendly, just login and you can watch anime anywhere. Once on-site, it's easy to navigate. On the left side is Home, Anime, Drama, search, and settings. On the top of the page, navigated through buttons for popular, simulcast, updates, A-Z, genre, and seasons. The is home where the anime in your que are and your past anime history. 

I really recommend Crunchyroll for viewing the lastest anime coming out of Japan.  

Crunchyroll article- Otaku Journalist blog@http://otakujournalist.com/where-your-crunchyroll-dollars-really-go-an-interview-with-the-ceo/

Image-http://www.pakman.com/investment/crunchyroll-acq-by-the-chernin-group/

Angus Wells author of "The GodWars" trilogy

Every now and again I will hunt through my library looking for something to read. I will look through the books searching with my mood, what am I into reading?  I decided on an older series that I haven't read for many years and I forgot what the ending was, Angus Wells, Dark Magic, book one.

Angus Wells wrote two trilogies, the Godwars and The Book of Kingdoms.  The GodWars series,  I think is well written but it follows in the vain of the heroes journey where a mismatch group goes through insurmountable odds to obtain their goal in the end.

The main  character is Calandryll Den Karynth,  the second son of the Domm of Secca who we read early on is a disappointment to his father.  Calandryll's older brother, Tobias is the heir apparent so the Domm decides that his younger son will become a priest as not to be a threat to his elder son's succession.  At this point in the book,  Calandryll is more of a scholar who's head is always in the books rather than a warrior like his elder sibling.

There's a treaty being worked out between Secca and a neighboring city state Aldarin through the ambassador of the latter, Lord Varent den Tarl.  This man will become the instigator to the quest who is also a fair wizard and more.  He enlist Calandryll's help to find a book that has the potential of awaken the war god, Tharn. He tells Calandryll that he wants to destroy the book but I had a hunch there was more to Varent's story. Even though I have read this book in it's entirety, I couldn't remember much of the storyline.

In the meantime Calandryll is shocked to find out that the woman he secretly loves is being bethrothed to his brother and that he will be going to the temple to become a priest.  Before Callandryll knows all this, he seeks out a seer who can foretell his future. She sees him on a life changing path and travel as on a quest with two others.

Through rage and fustration after hearing his fate from his father, Calandryll goes out and ends up in a tavern in the seedy part of town. He meets one of the two in a tavern where he almost gets beat up for not having any money for the wine he drank.  Calandryll is saved by Bracht of Kern, a freesword who later is hired by Varent to help Calandryll's journey to the far reaches in search of the Arcanum.  Later in the book, the third member of the party, Katya of Vanu is added to the quest.

A long time ago the original gods of this world had to entomb their two sons who had been at war with each other after seeing how much devastation this was causing the world. The Arcanum is an ancient book that has spells that can release them from their slumber.

The trilogy follows the three who now have become friends through the ends of their knowledge of the world and back with the finding of the book. Throughout the series it is said that they are pre-destined by the gods. And they do get help from the younger gods who earn their existence to the demise of the slumbering ones.  In the end the questers have to figure how to keep Tharn asleep forever.

Hunter X Hunter, anime

In the last few years I have been really interested in Anime, Japanese Animation. I watch them because of the content, humor, and the Japanese language is interesting. I watch either in subtitles in English or English dubbed. My recent find is Hunter X Hunter watched through Crunchyroll app on iPAd.

Hunter X Hunter is about a young 12 year old boy, Gon who wants to be a hunter like his father. When Gon finds out that his father isn't dead, he sets out to become a hunter. Gon want to find his father so he can ask the question, "why did you leave me?"  The Hunter exam is brutal but along the way  he meets other applicants who become his friends. Each boy hass their own reasons for taking the exam to be a hunter. On a boat to the island Gon meets, Leorio and Kurapika. They inadvertantly join up and save a sailor who goes overboard during a storm. Because of their joint effort they pass a test to go to the next step of the Hunter exam. They later befriend another boy, Killua who is the same age as Gon. 

The first 20 episodes are of the Hunter Exam.  Crunchyroll has 120 episodes for free. 

Hunter X Hunter started out as a manga (Japanese Comic) in March 3, 1998 in Shuesiha magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump. The series is illustrated and written by Yoshihiro Togashi.  Yoshihiro Togashi came up with the name of the manga while watching a variety show, Downtown on the television. The host would repeat his words to get a laugh from the audience. There are 340 chapters published in chapter collection in Japan.

I recommend this anime for all ages who love adventure stories with humor, action, and drama.

Image- copyright Yoshihiro Togashi

Bullet, Anita Blake novel by Laurell K. Hamilton

I have been in a dry spell for my book addiction for many months now. I won a book from Kristen from Fantasy Cafe, a Tad Williams novel "The Dirty Streets of Heaven" but couldn't get into it. I bought another book by an author I have read in the past, Katherine Kerr's "License to Ensorcell" and I couldn't get into that one either. So for Christmas I received as presents, 4 paperback novels, each a continuation of a series.

Bullet is the 2010 novel of Laurell K. Hamilton.   It is the first book I really enjoyed in a long time. It is an Anita Blake novel where she is in a dire situation with her sweeties. It was funny, provocative, violent, and tense, all wrapped into this one book. I have read her Anita Blake series for many years and had gotten bored with it but now I liked this book very much that I read it in a few days.  I know that seems long but in my younger days it would have been hours of me being engrossed by this book. 

For those who have never read any of Laurell K. Hamilton's books, Anita Blake is a necromancer and Vampire Executioner with a Marshall badge. She is really bad-ass. Through a magical circumstance she became bonded to a werewolf, Richard and a Master Vampire of St. Louis, Jean-Claude. Through each man she has developed some of their metaphysicalities, from Jean-Claude a way to feed by way of sex,  it's called the Ardeur, through Richard the awareness of the pack.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves the Anita Blake series. In this book, the shit is hitting the fan again and Anita must help to save her people from the bad guys. The Mother of All Darkness is back again trying to get a body of her own which happens to belong to Anita Blake. To keep her at bay, Anita must pick a Rex (lion king) to bond (sexual) to her Regina (queen), of course, all of this is metaphysical since she doesn't change into a lion. The Mother of All Darkness can beckon to call large cats and Anita has an amalgam within her so maybe she might be able to trump the vamp with the combination of all were-animals within to defeat the threat. And then there's Asher who has so much emotional and sexual needs that he's blackmailing Anita and Jean-Claude by leaving St. Louis to be a Master Vampire in another city.  

Female Science fiction and Fantasy Authors

I was cataloguing my bookcase and I was astonished on how many women authors were on my shelves. I mostly read books from my favorite authors or try new books with similar subject matter or recommended ones. So in the beginning of my addiction, I read mostly male authors such as Asimov, Piers Anthony, Terry Brooks, and so on. But what got me was how men skirted the sex between their characters relationships or at least the ones I read, and I got bored so decided to try someone new.  The first female author I read was Anne McCaffrey, Dragon Flight and I was hooked but wasn't exclusively I still read many male authors at this time. Then I randomly picked up a book to read on a flight to Hawaii, Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton.

I had never read such a violent, sexual, and adult fantasy before nor a vampire book so this blew me away.  Hamilton writes in first person which at the time wasn't a style I read much but it works very well in her stories. I have read most of her books and that started me on my journey of reading female authors. They deal more into the sexual aspect of relationship without getting too much into the romance genre.

There are so many female sci-fi/fantasy authors, it's amazing.  The genre has grown so much from when I started reading them.

Here are some of my favorite authors:

Laurell K. Hamilton- writes about Anita Blake, a Necromancer/Vampire Executioner who through her own magic of raising the dead becomes involved with a vampire, Jean-Claude, the master of the city. not all here books are equal but she is consistent in her writing but there isn't random violence or sex in her Anita Blake series or Merry Gentry series.  Merry Gentry is a private detective whose aunt is the queen of the dark faeries.

Lilith Saintcrow- has two series that I have enjoyed reading, the Dante Valentine and the Jill Kismet books. Both are about bad-ass, headstrong, and independent women.

Ann Aguirre- the Sirantha Jax series about a pilot who is a carrier of the J-gene and can navigate through grimspace.

Tara Harper- has two series about two women who have a bond with an animal and can communicate with them. Both books are futuristic and set in distant planets.

Lisanne Norman-The Sholan series about a human girl who is telepathic and her encounters with an alien race that also is telepathic. The story starts out in a planet settled by humans that later is invaded by an alien race and uses the planet for rest and relaxation for their soldiers.

Kristine Smith-Jani Kilian series where the main character is an officer who because of an accident turns into a human/Idomeni hybrid. There is much government intrigue in this series.

Charlaine Harris- Sookie Stackhouse series are fun books to read. Sookie is a telepath who thinks of herself is a freak until she meets her first vampire. I was at first disappointed when it was made into a HBO series since it didn’t follow the books but now I love it and think of it as a separate entity.

Rob Thurman- Not a man but Robyn. She’s the author of the Cal Leandros series, he’s half Auphe, old world creatures that are bloodthirsty and human. He lives with his half-brother, Niko who is a martial arts expert. They become detectives for the supernatural.

Anne McCaffrey-Love her Pern series about human space settlers on the planet who genetically engineer the local animal into flying dragons to counter the threat of an alien organism, Threads.

It's quite apparent that women sci-fi/fantasy authors are just as competent as men in writing in the genre.

Sci-fi Month: My All time Favorite Classic Sci-fi Films

I'm going to take a gamble that most of you haven't seen some of these classic sci-fi film so this is my list of my all time favorites starting from the 1950's.  When I was a young girl my family would watch science fiction, horror, and fantasy films on a TV show called Creature Feature. Most of the films on this list were watched on this TV show at the dinner table. I have listed the films in chronological order just so you see how this genre stretched throughout Hollywood's history. There are some of these films that have been remade, modernized but the originals are always the best or at least more fun.

1945- The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, is a terrifying movie about a town of people who go to sleep and wake up Pod People, cloned by an alien race who plans to invade earth.

1951- Day the Earth Stood Still, an alien ships lands in President’s Park in Washington D. C. to warn the people of earth to stop their violence so else. It's a wonderful science fiction movie for it's day.
















1953- The War of the Worlds, a movie based on the novel by H. G. Wells. This one is the perspective of a scientist played by Gene Barry who witness's the first crash of an object from space which is thought to be just an meteorite but in reality a spacecraft.

1954- Godzilla, a creature created by the nuclear fallout of bomb testing by the Americans. and wrecks havoc to Japan.

1960- Time Machine, is another H. G. Wells novel set to film. Rod Taylor plays Alexander Hartdegen, scientist and inventor of the time machine, who proves it possible by traveling into the future.

1964- First Men in the Moon is another H. G. Wells novel that is set in 1899 where a scientist named Joseph Cavor has invented a substance that defies gravity and is going to use this Cavorite on a spherical spacecraft to go to the moon. It's a fun movie where we meet the Moon people that are ant-looking creatures.

1966-Fantastic Voyage is a futuristic movie of a team of scientist who are shrunk in a submarine then injected into a man who needs surgery but there's a time limit until they start growing back to normal. I saw this film in the movie theater when I was younger, I loved it.

1968- 2001: A Space Odyssey, this was a very strange film for me, I had a difficult time with some of the concepts. But it's basically a AI (artificial intelligence) that takes over a space station.

1977- This film has become a classic among science fiction fans, Star Wars: A New Hope.  I saw this one in the movie theater where I was amazed and subsequently have seen the rest of  the trilogy.

1977- Close Encounter of the Third Kind, is a journey of Roy Neary, a telephone line worker who one night has a close encounter with a UFO. This is a Steven Spielberg movie that is one of his best works.

Poster images from internet:

www.jhalpe.com

www.northwestchicagefilmsociety.org

ww.subversify.com

www.wrongsideofheart.com

www.geeknerfherder.blogspot.com

www.grandoldmovies.wordpress.com

en.wikipedia.org

www.sci-fimovieposters.co.uk

www.vintage.es

www.flickerobsession.blogspot.com