So now we come to September and the beginning of fall. Oddly enough, it hasn't felt like much of a summer, due to the pandemic, so I'll admit to feeling a bit cheated. Still, one has to try to stay positive. In other news, I'll be turning 33 on the 19th of this month, though that might mean much to anyone but myself. Anyway, here are the recommendations.

Reading: Robinson Crusoe (1719) by Daniel Defoe

One of the earliest contenders to the distinction of being the first English novel, this is the book that prompted me to add adventure titles to the recommendations. The narrative follows the misfortunes and eventual spiritual renewal of one Robinson Crusoe, a man seemingly made for tragedy, as he faces three disastrous sea voyages, the third leading him to be the sole human survivor of a shipwreck on a deserted island somewhere in the South American Atlantic. For 27 years, he manages to survive by constructing living quarters and raising wild goats and wheat, eventually rescuing a captured islander whom he dubs "Friday", before outwitting mutineers and securing his escape. A landmark in realistic fiction upon first publication, the book has remained a perennial classic for generations, although some sympathies will not match up to modern moral standards. Being the originator of an entire subgenre of novel - the "Robinsonade" - it is well worth checking out  both for the compelling story and the historical value.

Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451530772?tag=randohouseinc7986-20
Trade: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375757325?tag=randohouseinc7986-20
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AZ2V1U?tag=randohouseinc7986-20



Viewing: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948)

Based on the 1927 novel by the enigmatic B. Traven, this movie - touted as one of the greatest of all time - follows a trio of poor Americans who prospect for gold in Mexico; while they come close to securing their fortunes, greed and paranoia eventually drive them violently apart, leading to disaster and death. An ingenious blend of Western, adventure and film noir, it features one of the best performances of Humphrey Bogart's career as the shifty Fred C. Dobbs, as well as an Oscar-winning role for Walter Huston as the experienced Howard, not to mention veteran Western star Tim Holt rounding out the trio as the straight-laced Bob Curtin. A high benchmark in the career of John Huston, the film remains as searing and impactful today as when it first premiered.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Sierra-Madre-Humphrey-Bogart/dp/B0049985XW/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1599185775&sr=8-3
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Sierra-Madre-Blu-ray/dp/B001P829VY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=the+treasure+of+the+sierra+madre&qid=1599185775&sr=8-3
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Sierra-Madre-Humphrey-Bogart/dp/B001EBWIUO/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+treasure+of+the+sierra+madre&qid=1599185775&sr=8-2


Well, that's all for September. I hope that the fall will prove to be better on all of our spirits.

Well, here we are in August. With all that's been going on, it sure has felt different. I mean, it might be the last full month of summer technically, but for those of us trying to keep safe, it probably hasn't felt like much of a summer anyway. I hope next year is better.

Anyway, the recommendations this month are a bit artsy and probably outside of the comfort zones of the average fan, but I think it's worth a shot.

Reading: Roadside Picnic (1972) by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

In the aftermath of a mysterious visitation by unseen aliens, several landing sites throughout the world have been classified into "Zones", where strange phenomena happen. Redrick "Red" Schuhart is a "stalker" - one who makes illegal expeditions into the Zones in order to retrieve special artifacts to sell on the black market - who, upon an ordinary excursion going wrong, finds himself drawn into a lifetime of underground double-dealing in order to provide for his family, which is also tainted by the influence of the Zones. Perhaps the most well-known work outside of their home country by arguably the most popular science fiction authors in the Russian language, this novel, which underwent heavy censorship by Soviet authorities, remains an influential text, having introduced the word stalker into the Russian language and serving as an inspiration for film, video games, and literature; it remained out of print in the United States for nearly thirty years before a brand new translation appeared in 2012 (which is linked to below).

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Roadside-Picnic-Rediscovered-Classics-Strugatsky/dp/1613743416/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571857&sr=1-1-791c2399-d602-4248-afbb-8a79de2d236f
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Roadside-Picnic-Rediscovered-Classics-Strugatsky-ebook/dp/B0087GJ5WI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571857&sr=1-1-791c2399-d602-4248-afbb-8a79de2d236f



Viewing: Stalker (Andrei Tartovsky, 1979)

The final film made in his native homeland by one of the world's most respected film directors, Stalker is a loose adaptation of the Strugatsky brothers' Roadside Picnic (featuring a screenplay which they themselves wrote), only more abstract and philosophical, featuring long, quiet takes and surreal imagery. Three unidentified men - referred to only as the "Stalker", the "Writer", and the "Professor" - breach the security of the highly fortified, mysterious Zone in search of a strange artifact - a room said to grant the secret desires of whoever enters it; each man has his own reasons for seeking out the Room, which are gradually revealed throughout the film. While quite slow and cerebral compared to both the book and other films at the time, it has since transcended its initial mixed reception to be one of Tartakovsky's most acclaimed works and may probably reward dedicated viewings.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-Feature-Alisa-Freyndlikh/dp/B071YCQJRD/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571910&sr=8-2
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-Feature-Blu-ray-Alisa-Freyndlikh/dp/B06ZY641YQ/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571910&sr=8-2
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Stalker-English-Subtitled-Alisa-Freindlikh/dp/B073X5Z5HX/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1596571910&sr=8-2

That's all I got for now. I hope I haven't recommended anything too off-putting or unenjoyable. See you next month!

Yeah, I can see that. I was going to politely disagree, but I think I have to put my thoughts together more before I do.

Anyway, here are a couple of relevant articles about Tolkien's work and racism accusations, both of which touch on what you've been talking about. Sure, I meant for the initial post to cover more than Tolkien, but since he's pretty much the trope codifier and it always seems to come back to him, that's a good place to start, I guess.

Here's a defense of Tolkien from Psychology Today, though it could be problematic in itself: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/checkpoints/202004/no-orcs-arent-racist

And here's a large article on The Tolkien Gateway - a great Tolkien wiki - on the racism subject: http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Racism_in_Tolkien%27s_Works

Both are pretty interesting, in my own opinion.

This is sort of old news now, but I've been meaning to bring this up for a few days.

Anyway, the news is that Wizards of the Coast, publishers of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game (which they acquired from TSR in 1997), have announced that they are going to be making some cosmetic changes to the games to better represent diversity and change alleged racist content. I first found the announcement on Tor.com, which can be read below and which also links directly to the company statement:

https://www.tor.com/2020/06/29/wizards-of-the-coast-takes-steps-towards-changing-racist-dungeons-dragons-content/

I can't say for sure, but I think that, once upon a time, I might have been a bit troubled by this "politically correct" move, but as I am increasingly finding myself distanced from both straight right or left ideologies, I applaud their intentions. For one thing, here is an article on Black Gate that's also worth reading on the subject:

https://www.blackgate.com/2020/06/30/inherent-evil-is-lazy/

As I've grown more fond of stories, I can see the benefits to this from a writing standpoint. Fantasy - and by extension all genre fiction - can't stay in a bubble or it will stagnate. Yes, that may mean it gives a platform to some positions that you might not necessarily agree with, but if you shut out those voices, then it comes across as exclusionary. It can't stay the same way that it was in the 1950s. The genre needs to grow and adapt to modern developments in culture and even shed a lot of its more problematic material.

For one thing, I don't think that it was ever meant to be that way in the first place, and at least from my limited "research", genre fans have been making these arguments for years. For instance, take the announcement from both links regarding the characterizations of orcs and dark elves (drow), both typical fantasy archetypes. Now some may argue that this may come across as a denial of evil in the world, that what should be called out as sinful and despicable is being treated as valid. However, I don't think the authors and creators of such characters ever meant for them to be necessarily inherently evil - that's just something that imitators and followers have exaggerated and taken out of context. I'm thinking in particular about J. R. R. Tolkien and the orcs. While some, again, may decry this as a move by "PC culture", from what I've read, Tolkien always had difficulty in reconciling his own depictions of the orcs with his devout Catholic beliefs, hence why The Silmarillion was unfinished at the time of his death. It seems that his plan for Middle-earth was always for evil to be a deliberate CHOICE, not something inherent, as if comparatively unattractive species are diabolical by nature, but he had difficulty in finding a proper solution. Everyone who read and capitalized on the books simply ran with the ugly-is-evil and born-evil narratives, to the consternation of many who realized the unfortunate implications. The choices of Wizards of the Coast in this case are simply a long overdue correction of something taken far beyond the original context.

So I'm glad that they're making the effort, because, in a world that's increasingly ambiguous and polarized, treating everything as black and white seems a little too simplistic and reductionist now. In order to be more truthful and honest, writing needs to acknowledge the complexity of life.

So what's you're opinion on the decision? Do you think that "inherent evil" is a lazy way out in writing? How do you go about reconciling right and wrong with ambiguity?

Well, just when it looks like we might be getting a bit better, we're pretty much back to where we started. That's the bad news, unfortunately. I'm afraid I don't have much good news for you, but I do have some recommendations to pass your time. Hopefully, they're keep you light-hearted in these troubling times.

Reading: The Three Musketeers (1844) by Alexandre Dumas

One of the most popular international books of the 19th century (and the title that forever cemented my interest in historical fiction), Dumas's legendary adventure of the young Gascon d'Artagnan and his three companions in the King's Musketeers - grim Athos, jovial Porthos, and mercurial Aramis - pitted against the wiles of Cardinal Richelieu and his scheming agent, Milady de Winter, is one of the most fast-paced, joyfully readable classics that I have had the pleasure of coming across, much of that depending on the translation (Victorian censors of the times eliminated most of the innuendos and sexual underpinings of the original text). The version offered in the links below is a recent translation from 2018 for Pegasus Books by noted RPG-scribe/swashbuckling enthusiast Lawrence Ellsworth, which captures all the excitement of the original French without being anachronistic; as of this writing, Mr. Ellsworth is in the process of retranslating the complete Musketeer Cycle, so keep an eye out for future titles down the line.

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Musketeers-Cycle/dp/1681776146/ref=tmm_hrd_title_7?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1593974270&sr=8-3
Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Musketeers-Alexandre-Dumas/dp/1643130404/ref=tmm_pap_title_30?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1593974270&sr=8-3
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Musketeers-Alexandre-Dumas-ebook/dp/B074D4BYCF/



Viewing: The Adventures of Robin Hood (Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, 1938)

Despite some admirable and memorable attempts in the modern era, I think few could deny that this classic swashbuckler is probably the best cinematic depiction of the legendary guardian of Sherwood Forest, played stalwartly by Errol Flynn in one of the most iconic roles of his career. Featuring a supporting cast including Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian (in the third of nine pairings with Flynn), Claude Rains as Prince John, and Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne, the film - a popular hit for Warner Bros. - stands as one of the most iconic adventure films in the history of the industry, aided by one of the great film scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold as well as one of cinema's most legendary climactic swordfights. Whether you're 1 or 100, it's a treasure to revisit any day.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Robin-Hood-Various/dp/B00407PNWO/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=the+adventures+of+robin+hood&qid=1593974456&sr=8-5
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Robin-Hood-Blu-ray/dp/B0013N3DSE/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=the+adventures+of+robin+hood&qid=1593974456&sr=8-5
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Robin-Hood-Errol-Flynn/dp/B001NVIZ3E/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+adventures+of+robin+hood&qid=1593974456&sr=8-2

Well, that's all for now. I hope the coming months will find us in better spirits.

I can go both ways with fantasy. I still love epic grand adventures, having been raised on Zelda games, but smaller, character-driven fantasies can be quite magnificent as well. For me, a good story is a good story, regardless of genre. As long as I'm quite entertained, I'm satisfied.

As for my own reading, I'm juggling a bit more. I'm still reading Dickens, Dumas and Hugo, and I intend to finish them, but I've also tried shifting some of my focus to Pulitzer-winning works. I'm making headway on two in particular - John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces (1980), regarded as one of the funniest books ever written, at least in the English language, and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings's 1938 classic The Yearling, which is an INCREDIBLE book - I wish I read it when I was younger.

This post was originally going to be titled "The Enduring Appeal of the Western", but I felt that came across as more of a statement than a question, and this is definitely more of a question. Also, you might remember that I made a post a long time ago asking a similar question about horror (and I EVENTUALLY want to return to that post), and this post is deliberately meant to mimic that.

So, to get right to the point, I want to talk about Westerns. Comparatively speaking, in the long history of literature, the Western - by which I mean stories set primarily in the Western United States in the general years of 1865-1910 - is rather new and, dare I say it, distinctly American in the sense that it's regionally and topically American, although I guess that other countries have their own frontier literature as well. Much like contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and horror, Westerns are tied to cheap pulp fiction and "dime novels" as opposed to "serious" literature, and the writers of Westerns have subsequently spent a good deal of effort in justifying their existence, although there has been a good number of authors who have managed to turn out Westerns that have received serious critical attention.

However, while speculative fiction has risen in popularity and turned a corner in its public perception, you could make a case that the great days of the Western are behind it. From the end of the 1970's onward, Westerns have been steadily declining to the point where one would assume that they are pretty much obsolete and burned out. Yet there is still a sizeable authorship and complementary readership for the Western today, and I would say that the lack of quantity has subsequently led to a rise in quality.

Still, the genre has some historically recurring problematic elements with regards to representation and politics, at least in regards to the portrayals of Native Americans and women as well as a perceived glorification of violence, toxic masculinity, and "Manifest Destiny." So, in this day and age, why is there still such a fascination with the American West? Why do these stories keep coming up again and again?

I ask this slightly rhetorically because, personally, I love Westerns. I didn't use to, of course. Back in my teenage years, soaked in fantasy and video games, Westerns were reserved for something that the old people watched on Turner Classic Movies in the nursing homes but never really held my interest. Then, in my community college years, as part of a project in one of my English classes, I saw Clint Eastwood's final Western film, 1992's Best Picture winner Unforgiven, and I can only say that I was blown away with how good it was (subsequently, Unforgiven is definitely in my top 20, if not my top 10, favorite movies I've ever seen). As a result, I've seen more and more classic Westerns over the years, and my fondness for the genre has grown, despite my reservations with some of the issues I've already mentioned. I also wouldn't have been caught dead reading Western fiction in the past, but as of the writing of this post - June 6, 2020 - I can now count two Western novels among some of my favorite reads: Charles Portis's True Grit (1968) and Jack Schaefer's Shane (1949).

So what is your experience with Westerns and why do you think it has such a hold over the public to this day, though somewhat lessened with time? What's so special about them that we keep revisiting them and creating them? Is this an unhealthy obsession with an era best left to the history books, or is there something timeless in the Western that will never go out of style that can be harnessed for constructive purposes?

I'm a little late here, but better now than never.

Well, we're in June now, and summer is just around the corner. However, while we have started to open up, thing just keep getting bad. I don't know how to help, as it seems everyone thinks they have the right solution.

In lighter news, I've been given the go-ahead to incorporate other non-fantasy genres into the recommendations, so, with a slight cheat, here are some adventurous titles.

Reading: Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson

One of my absolute favorite books, this quick read - easily finished in a couple days or less - is the definitive codifier of the modern pirate mythos, following young Jim Hawkins as a brief association with an old sailor at his parents' establishment leads to the discovery of a treasure map which points to the location of the horde of the notorious pirate Captain Flint; teaming up with a noble doctor, a bumbling magistrate, and a dutiful sea captain, Jim gets roped into danger quickly when the crew of the ship is revealed to be a secret gang of pirates, led by the legendary one-legged sea cook Long John Silver, a man both dangerously charismatic and surprisingly sympathetic. A classic of Victorian boys' adventure tales, Stevenson's first novel is a bare-bones, rip-snorting riot of a story which shouldn't fail to get your sea legs going.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140437681?tag=randohouseinc7986-20
Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Island-Signet-Classics-Stevenson/dp/1101990325/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFX4DRI?tag=randohouseinc7986-20



Viewing: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981)

A watershed in the history of action/adventure films, the first installment of the exploits of occult archaeologist/professor Indiana Jones is considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made, and for good reason, being a collaboration between visionary director Spielberg and Star Wars creator/writer George Lucas. A homage to the old serials of the Golden Age of Hollywood, this story finds Dr. Jones on the trail of Nazis who seek to unearth the location of the biblical Ark of the Covenant in an effort to make Hitler invincible, tangling with both an old childhood flame and an unscrupulous competitor. Relentlessly fast-paced - so much so that it may be taken for granted today - the film, in my own personal opinion, still holds up to this day and remains a personal favorite.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Indiana-Jones-Raiders-Lost-ARK/dp/B0014Z4OMU/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1591234469&sr=8-3
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Indiana-Jones-Raiders-Lost-Blu-ray/dp/B00FZIJ18Y/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2F23ACOSWK882&dchild=1&keywords=raiders+of+the+lost+ark+blu-ray&qid=1591234469&sprefix=raiders+of%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-3
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Indiana-Jones-Raiders-Lost-Ark/dp/B00GIWIPVA/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1591234469&sr=8-3

Well, that's all for now. I hope we have better days ahead of us. Until then, I'll see you all around.

Recently, I've been thinking about things. While I kind of want to make a large post about it, it's usual for my interest to peter out as I get going, so I'll just try to say what I can. It pertains mostly to reading, though other forms of media fall under it too.

As you may have noticed from my constant posts on the subject, I have a particular obsession with books. Buying books has pretty much replaced my childhood/adolescent fixation on video games, though I'll admit that I still treasure video games and long to get back to them at some point. It's been slow going, what with budgeting myself and even replacing some of the books I previously got with what I feel are nicer, more informative editions. But in a short period - in the span of a couple recent weeks, it seems - books have won me over in a different way, though it's been some time coming, I guess.

You see, I've been spending a lot of time surfing the Internet not just looking for books to buy but reading ABOUT books. I feel that the more I know about the history of a book and its author, the more I enjoy it, which is why I guess I get so enthusiastically excited about getting new books. I'd also like to draw attention to a quote from the last episode of the popular yet controversial Game of Thrones TV series, spoken by the character of Tyrion Lannister:

"What unites people? Armies? Gold? Flags? Stories. There's nothing more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it."

Whether it's movies, video games, books, television, or anything else, nothing beats stories. We can't live without stories. Both directly and indirectly, I've been raised on stories, and I love finding them. As a result, I find that, as much as a good video game, there is an inestimable joy to reading - the pleasure of getting lost in a good tale well told (because I feel a good story depends on how it's told). I've made posts and topics in the past talking about my love of fantasy, and while that hasn't abated, I can't say that I don't favor any other genres any less. No matter what kind of book it is, I can get completely enthralled by it. To speak of some of my most recent selections, it's been wonderful to get pulled into Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and island survival adventures, or the rollicking bravado of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers, or Charles Dickens's satirical genius in The Pickwick Papers, or even the sheer epic romantic ambition that is Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. Even now, I'm thinking of what I'm going to read next, and I'm excited for it. I just can't get enough of it, and it's taken me so long to fully appreciate it, if I really have reached that point.

But the joy of stories can't be forced. While my high school education was inevitable, the concept of "required reading", though I guess it serves a purpose, rather irks me because I don't think you can make someone enjoy reading - it has to be something you find for yourself. What's more, I really do greatly enjoy old books, but that might not be to everyone's taste, so I would say that it's important to read books that interest YOU personally. Don't necessarily depend on what a bunch of old men have deemed worthy of the "Western Canon" - read whatever you can get your hands on, but do it with caution. Spend your time on good books.

I think there was more I was going to say, but I believe I've forgotten it already. Oh well. At least you have what I've started to get a discussion going, if you should so choose.

Well, it's taken a bit of juggling, but I've currently narrowed things down. I've still got half of Fevre Dream to go, but I've put down Beagle and Salinger and finished both Jackson and Patricia A. McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, which I've already recommended. As my chief focus, I've picked up Dumas's Musketeers again (I'm now halfway through it), restarted Dickens's The Pickwick Papers and FINALLY made substantial headway on it (REALLY enjoying it), and started the big one, the mother lode - Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, complete and unabridged (I was worried, but I never knew I would enjoy it so much - currently got 167 pages behind me already).

I think the most significant thing to come out of this selection is that I really enjoy the process of reading - I'm completely entranced with my choices, and none of the three are fantasy related.

Well, May is here, and, like it or not, it looks like we might still be staying indoors for a while. So, until the restrictions pass, here are a few recommendations to pass the time. Some you might have seen before, but I'm kind of running out of titles myself, and it's never a bad thing to revisit classics. I still want to open up the scope of the recommendations to make up for my shortcomings, but until I get the word to do so, I still have a few titles left right now.

Reading: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (1974) by Patricia A. McKillip

Sybel, daughter of the wizard Ogam, lives on Eld Mountain in Eldwold, surrounded by beasts of legends past - except one, the Liralen, which she desires most to possess - and cares nothing for the world of men...until a young knight brings an infant to her doorstep. Reluctant at first, she takes the child as her own and grows fond of him, but when his father, the King of Eldwold, comes to claim him, this sets off a chain of events that will send her on a path of bitterness and vengeance that may bring war to the world. The inaugural winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1975, McKillip's first novel, published at age 26, is an extraordinarily natural work, a fantasy of what seems an effortless, otherworldly nature; ostensibly for young adults, it is hailed as a modern classic by some and continues to draw new readers in to this day.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616962771/?coliid=I1FA5GE5JCG3R&colid=8VP4IOWRKQ0&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Beasts-Eld-Patricia-McKillip-ebook/dp/B083G6HS76/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&coliid=I1FA5GE5JCG3R&colid=8VP4IOWRKQ0&qid=&sr=



Viewing: Ladyhawke (Richard Donner, 1985)

From the director of The Omen, Superman, The Goonies and the Lethal Weapon franchise comes this medieval fairy tale about two lovers cursed by a jealous bishop to live out half-lives - the woman by day as a hawk, and the man by night as a wolf. Into this mix comes a young thief, newly escaped from the dungeons of the bishop, who soon finds that he may be key to breaking the curse. Beautifully shot with wonderful acting (see Leo McKern as the jovial, penitent friar Imperius), period-appropriate costumes, and an interesting yet blatantly anachronistic soundtrack (courtesy of progressive rock outfit The Alan Parsons Project), it's a quite underrated film that probably deserves more than just a cult following.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Ladyhawke-Rutger-Hauer/dp/B01LTHXLWQ/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=ladyhawke&qid=1588382191&sr=8-4
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Ladyhawke-Blu-ray-Rutger-Hauer/dp/B00W81K9C8/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=ladyhawke&qid=1588382191&sr=8-4
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Ladyhawke-Rutger-Hauer/dp/B000PY6BBI/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ladyhawke&qid=1588382191&sr=8-1

So that's it for May. I hope to hear good things from you all very soon!

I've been thinking about things recently. I'm not going to stop doing the recommended reading or my blog series (although the latter is on hiatus due to me not prioritizing it), but here's the thing: I want to expand my horizons somewhat, and, to be honest, I'm only a slow-to-average-speed reader - it usually takes me a while to complete a book, and since I tend to pick up or put down depending on what strikes my mood, I can have 3 or even 5 books going at once now. Therefore, I'm having a bit of difficulty delivering the right recommended reading on time, since I still keep to the rule of recommending only those books which I have personally read or started myself.

So, to broaden my choices, here's what I want to ask. Would it be alright if I recommend and blog about books that don't really have to do with speculative fiction? By that, I'm talking about titles that don't have any fantasy/science fiction/horror elements to them. It kind of goes against the unspoken purpose of this site, I guess, but when I think about the common themes in the books I read and the movies and video games I've experienced, a couple things seem to be present in all of my favorites: a sense of adventure, definite thrills, and a strong attachment to history. Thus, I would like my future choices for recommendations and blog entries to include:

-adventure fiction/romances (stories of quests or incredible happenstance filled with danger and/or excitement)
-thrillers (action, suspense, mystery and related subjects)
-historical fiction (stories explicitly dealing with the subjects of the near/distant past)

While I know Raven has given me a lot of freedom in what I've focused on so far, I don't want to go forward with this without the explicit approval of everyone else who participates on this site (which usually means just Raven). Would you accept these subjects in the recommended reading and the blog, or do you think I'm going too far and I should just stick to fantasy and fantastic themes?

Well, it's April already, and Spring is here...as well as a new viral pandemic, which is discouraging public socialization and will probably have lasting consequences for the world economy. In other words, it's dire times. Many of you are probably staying at home now and are in need of entertainment. Well, it may be a last minute choice for me, but given the circumstances, maybe you may need it right now.

Reading: Peter Pan a.k.a. Peter and Wendy (1911) by J. M. Barrie

One of the most famous stories of the 20th century, the brief tale of the boy who wouldn't grow up is now so ingrained into the public consciousness that it needs no introduction. Will all the various adaptations over the years, it's still worthwhile to check out the original novel, which Barrie tells with delightfulness and charm. Everything is there as one would remember it: sprite-like Peter Pan whisking away the Darling children to the dreamlike Neverland, where they meet mermaids, Indians (an unfortunate racial stereotype), and pirates led by the malicious Captain James Hook - a villain if ever there was one. A simple story on the surface, subsequent critics have ascertained deeper, more mature themes peeking out of the narrative. It's a great tale whether you're 1 or 101.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Modern-Library-Classics/dp/081297297X/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1585710507&sr=8-2
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Modern-Library-Classics-ebook/dp/B000FC2IQW/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=peter+pan+modern+library+kindle&qid=1585716977&sr=8-2



Viewing: Peter Pan (P. J. Hogan, 2003)

Less well-known than the Disney animated film and Steven Spielberg's "sequel" is this adaptation from the Australian director of romantic comedies such as Muriel's Wedding and My Best Friend's Wedding. A box office disappointment upon release, having tragically gone up against The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kings, the film nevertheless was praised by critics for its general faithfulness to the source material. Managing to balance lighthearted humor with darker, almost frightening fantasy material and buoyed by a terrific cast, this may just be the best cinematic version of Barrie's story released to date. If you have the time and you want an alternative to the more popular titles, check this one out.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Widescreen-P-Hogan/dp/B0001HAISG/ref=tmm_dvd_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1585710527&sr=8-7
Blu Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Blu-ray-P-Hogan/dp/B004GXKBFQ/ref=tmm_mfc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1585710527&sr=8-7
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Jason-Isaacs/dp/B002EX7GBC/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1585710527&sr=8-7

Hopefully, this will keep you pleasantly occupied. Stay safe and, as always, remember to wash your hands!

And so we move into March, with Spring and Daylight Saving Time right around the corner. This month, I have some medieval-themed recommendations in mind that may pique some users' interests for sure, both being classics. So let's get to it.

Reading: Three Hearts and Three Lions (1961) by Poul Anderson

One of sci-fi legend Anderson's most important fantasies, this tale follows Danish engineer Holger Carlsen, who, during a secret missing in WWII, is mysteriously transported to another world, one where the French chansons du geste are reality and he himself seems to be a character of great importance. In order to return his own world, Carlsen, accompanied by a noble dwarf, a young swan-may, and a Christian Saracen, and aided by his scientific background, must fulfill his purpose in the "Middle World", caught between the opposing forces of Law and Chaos, and find out exactly who he is and why he is so revered and feared. A novel-length expansion of an earlier novella, this classic high fantasy is one of the titles for which the author himself wished to be best remembered, and as such, it's a compelling and engrossing page-turner sure to please fans of Tolkien, Lewis, and other masters of fantastic literature.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Hearts-Lions-Poul-Anderson/dp/1504054962/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1583115119&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Hearts-Lions-Poul-Anderson-ebook/dp/B016CQUL4U/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1583115119&sr=8-1



Viewing: The Secret of Kells (Tomm Moore, 2009)

Young Brendan is an inquisitive lad living at the Abbey of Kells under the watch of his stern uncle when a newly arrived abbot - a master illuminator carrying a special book - enlists his help in finishing the manuscript. To do so will bring Brendan into the nearby woods, where he will encounter both a mischievous faerie and an vicious Celtic deity, but the real danger lies in the invading Viking hordes who draw ever closer to the abbey. Inspired by both Celtic mythology and such works as Richard Williams's groundbreaking unfinished magnum opus, The Thief and the Cobbler, this rather brief Academy Award nominated Franco-Belgian-Irish co-production is one of the most magnificently animated films of the modern era and a love letter to classic hand-drawn animation that should not be missed by anyone. Believe me, you won't regret it!

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Kells-Brendan-Gleeson/dp/B0036TGSW6/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1583115337&sr=8-3
Blu-Ray/DVD Combo: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Kells-Blu-ray-DVD-Combo/dp/B0036TGSWG/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1583115337&sr=8-3
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Kells-Brendan-Gleeson/dp/B0045XIFQY/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1583115337&sr=8-3


That's all for this month, but before I go, I have to REALLY insist that you see the movie listed above. It's one of the most surprisingly engrossing movies I've ever seen. To drive the point home, if you haven't seen it already, here's the trailer for it to give you a taste of what you're in for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UuUOXfiz9Q

See you next month!

Looking forward to reading it when it comes out. Also, I'd love to hear your opinion on Peake's Gormenghast if you've gotten any farther on it.

Personally, this is probably the most juggling I've ever done with books. My mood changes so much and I've trying to find the right book. Granted, I intend to finish all those that I've started, but it can really feel overwhelming.

I've still got The Stand on hold, I'm about halfway through both George R. R. Martin's Fevre Dream and Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, I've got a good few chapters down on The Catcher in the Rye, and I've just completed Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions. Rather than finish any of those left hanging, I've gone and started another book as well - A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle.

Again, I do intend to finish everything. But I've got to be in the right mood on some occasions. Otherwise, I just got to commit.