Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s more to it than that, which is why I included “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part Three
After the “craze” died down following BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES in 1973, not a whole lot happened for a long time regarding the series’ return to the big screen. Plans for a remake of the original began in the late ’80s but would wind up in “development hell.”
Report From The Quarantine Cave 7.0
Day 21,453 (give or take) of the coronavirus pandemic: barely a few weeks ago I mentioned to Jacqueline that the Covid-19 death count stood at 997 here in San Diego County, that it would top a thousand in the next day or so. As of this writing it is likely we will surpass 1,300 deaths this week.
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part Two
So how did the producers of the first two highly successful Apes films manage to get three more sequels out of the series—especially after the Earth was blown to space debris in the fortieth century at the end of the second movie?
The King Of Turdville
All four of the books in my “Bicycling” series are a combination of comedy, science fiction, satire, and an occasional serious moment or two. The excerpt I’m going to share from my new book, BACK ON THE BIKE PATH, is a mixture of them all, with an emphasis on satire.
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part One
It began in 1963 as a slim novel, La Planète des Singes, written by Pierre Boulle, a Frenchman. Alternately translated as MONKEY PLANET or PLANET OF THE APES, it told the futuristic story of a world turned upside down, a place where apes were the dominant species, while humans had become mindless, speechless beasts.
JACK MILLER IS BACK ON THE BIKE PATH!
To be honest, I started out writing this book with a bit of trepidation, given my own hiatus from creativity. But it did not take long before I was having an absolute blast riding with Jack on his new adventures. I hope you’ll have as much fun reading BACK ON THE BIKE PATH.
Throwback Thursday: A Memorable Date
This significant anniversary—for me—falls on a Thursday, as it did in 2009. A good time to revisit my scariest day ever.
Guilty Pleasures: Geostorm
The much-maligned 2017 film, GEOSTORM, is a disaster movie. And a sci-fi movie. And a political thriller. Guess what: I enjoy disaster movies; and sci-fi movies; and political thrillers. So despite its poor box office and terrible reviews, I love this film.
Throwback Thursday: The Bill Russell Syndrome
What does former National Basketball Association great Bill Russell have to do with leading classes and workshops about writing novels? I’ll tell you…shortly. But, first things first.
Can Old Dogs Learn New Tricks?
While hanging out in the quarantine cave for most of this year, my bride and I have watched a lot of police procedural/detective shows on BritBox, Acorn, and Prime. They range in presentation from intense (BROADCHURCH, VERA, PRIME SUSPECT) to outrageously funny (AGATHA RAISIN). Somewhere in the middle, joining favorites such as MIDSOMER MURDERS and THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES, is the delightful BBC production, NEW TRICKS.
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