Category: Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction

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Anthologies Books & Novels Children's Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction

THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN: THE FOUNDLING AND OTHER TALES OF PRYDAIN

Written by Lloyd Alexander & Cover Art by David Wyatt

SUMMARY:

Originally published in 1973, this 98-page Henry Holt and Company paperback reprint was issued in 2006. As an anthology supplement to The Chronicles of Prydain, author Lloyd Alexander provides eight prequel fables. Readers will some answers to mysteries Alexander tantalizingly left to conjecture after The High King.  Specifically, the short stories are:

  • The Foundling: Some backstory was already divulged during the saga, as to how infant Dalben was found and raised by the Witches of Morva.  Yet, the reason why Dalben opts for the mystical Book of Three as his parting gift from them offers insight into the wizard he ultimately becomes.  The last scene segues into The Stone.
  • The Stone:  A struggling farmer named Maibon insists on a reward of immortality for freeing a leprechaun-like Doli of the Fair Folk from a log that has trapped him.  Courtesy of a mystical stone, Maibon finds that the reality of living forever has dire consequences once time has halted for his family.
  • The True Enchanter: The tragic love story of Eilonwy’s parents is revealed, as her mother, Princess Angharad, rebelliously chooses her heart’s desire instead of family tradition.
  • The Rascal Crow:  Kaw’s overconfident father, Kadwyr, finds that his wily tricks may be no match for Arawn’s Chief Huntsman once he encroaches on Medwyn’s forest.  Yet, the fellow forest creatures whom Kadwyr has belittled are more ingenious than the crow realizes.
  • The Sword:  The wicked legend as to why the enchanted blade, Dyrnwyn, ended up deep underneath Spiral Castle is revealed.   
  • The Smith, The Weaver, and The Harper: Arawn’s feared methods of deception of preying upon humanity’s greed to steal Prydain’s treasures are demonstrated.  Yet, could someone ingeniously reverse Arawn’s corrupted game?
  • Coll and His White Pig:  Coll’s legendary adventure to rescue his pig, Hen Wen, from Annuvin is told.
  • The Truthful Harp: Gifted with a cursed harp by the Chief Bard, King Fflewddur Fflam’s early heroics are explored (at least, as Fflewdddur might have supposedly told them).

REVIEW:

Too often middling, this assortment of morality tales is Prydain’s answer to Aesop’s Fables. Its most intriguing asset is Arawn’s fable, though it isn’t hard to guess what direction Alexander (much like Mark Twain would have) is going in. The other stories are generally okay, but the unsettling and bloody violence implied in The Sword is likely inappropriate material for elementary school kids. Short on genuine surprises, The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain is a decent experience — but the end result is a far cry from Alexander’s Prydain at its best.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

In addition to an ‘Author’s Note,’ Alexander provides a black-and-white map of Prydain as a two-page spread.  A pronunciation guide for Prydain’s terminology is included, as is a two-page Alexander biography.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         5 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR TREK-Related

STAR TREK II BIOGRAPHIES

Written by William Rotsler

SUMMARY:

Published in 1982 through Simon & Schuster’s Wanderer Books, this 159-page movie tie-in paperback was part of three-pack gift set (please see Notes below). Star Trek II Biographies features Starfleet backstories (in alphabetical order) for: Lt.  Commander Pavel Chekov; Admiral James T. Kirk; Commander/Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy; Commander Montgomery Scott; Captain Spock (posthumously); Lt. Commander Hikaru Sulu; and Lt. Commander Nyota Uhura. 

As indicated in the chapters for Chekov and Spock, this book is set immediately after the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  In addition to revealing each character’s Starfleet records (including their academy history), the seven Enterprise crew members are profiled through snippets of correspondence and interviews, as well as excerpts from supposed 23rd Century books.

Note: Chekov’s ‘debriefing’ grimly contradicts the fate of the U.S.S. Reliant’s crew implied in the film. It’s possible that Rotsler was working off an earlier draft of the script.  

REVIEW:

It’s not exactly what the title implies.  Instead of easy-to-digest, straight-forward biographical summaries, each segment delves into a character’s backstory through an insightful combination of various supposed resources, including private correspondence.  Hence, its bogus bibliography is fun to peruse.  Of the seven profiles, at the expense of Sulu and Uhura’s short profiles, readers get far more expansive looks at Kirk and Spock.  A Kirk highlight is a poignant private letter from David Marcus sent to his mother about the recent revelation re: whom his famous father is. 

Posthumous recollections by Spock’s Starfleet Academy classmates is also worth checking out.  The same applies to some rare depth re: Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, and McCoy, as their personal lives were usually ignored by the TV series and the movies.  As for Chekov, the Original Series TV episode, “The Way to Eden,” is helpful viewing re: his past love life. Also, his section has the most intriguing angle, as it’s a combination debriefing/deposition by Starfleet intelligence.      

To author William Rotsler’s credit, he makes these narratives an interesting reference guide.  Clearly, Star Trek II Biographies isn’t flat-out kiddie entertainment, nor was it meant to be.  This obscure book does make a good read for long-time fans (possibly, in this instance, adults more so than the intended pre-teen/teen audience) who won’t care how dated Rotsler’s material seems. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There is a ten-page ‘bibliography,’ which includes books supposedly written by the characters themselves.  Each section has a single black-and-white full-page close-up of the character — these stills appear in color on the book’s cover.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:           7 Stars

Notes: Rotsler further wrote Star Trek II: Distress Call (a choose-your-own-adventure-type book) and Star Trek II: Short Stories, making Biographies part of a kid’s three-pack. In 1984, he also released in tandem Star Trek III: Short Stories and The Vulcan Treasure (another choose-your-own-adventure).

Categories
Books & Novels Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR TREK-Related

STAR TREK: FEDERATION

Written by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens / Cover Illustration by Keith Birdsong

SUMMARY:

Published in 1994 to celebrate the big-screen release of Star Trek: Generations, this 467-page hardcover stars Captains Kirk and Picard in the prime of their own respective eras.  While one narrative stream explores Zefram Cochrane’s backstory prior to his disappearance in 2117, Federation is a sequel to two Star Trek: The Original Series episodes: “Metamorphosis,” and, to a much lesser degree, “The City on the Edge of Forever.”

Brief supplemental sequences depict Kirk’s post-Original Series life in both 2270 and 2293 (just days prior to Generations).  Allotted approximately the same amount of ‘screen time,’ Jean-Luc Picard’s Enterprise crew appears in 2366, and, briefly, in a post-Generations 2371 epilogue.

In 2267 (a few days after the events of “Journey to Babel”), Captain James T. Kirk’s U.S.S. Enterprise finds out from an weakening Companion that Zefram Cochrane has been forcibly abducted.  Cochrane’s past is revealed, as a perpetual enemy is willing to hide for centuries to finally inflict vengeance.  While Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy risk their careers to save Cochrane, related events bedevil an unsuspecting Picard’s hijacked Enterprise a century later. Facing a cosmic death trap, two Enterprises must ultimately risk everything to escape.

Note: This title is also available in paperback.

REVIEW:

As ultra-convoluted as Federation becomes, the co-authors do excellent work conveying a Kirk-Picard team-up that could only exist in full-blown literary form. More specifically, the novel recaptures the distinctive dramatic flavors of The Original Series and The Next Generation without short-changing either of them. 

With actor Glenn Corbett’s Zefram Cochrane as its focal point, Federation is often a real treat for long-time Trekkers.  It’s easy to visualize the actors from The Original Series and The Next Generation tag-teaming this epic storyline, as the co-authors are able to accurately depict the novel’s extensive cast.

Their best scenes include, for instance, a late night sick-bay poker game between McCoy’s less-than-cooperative patients: Kirk, Spock, and Sarek, which is a hoot.  Further, the crises later imperiling both crews are duly compelling.  Near the end is a throwaway gem re: a private message, which far exceeds Generations’ uninspired screenwriting.  The same applies to Kirk’s unexpected return to The Guardian of Forever decades after their prior encounter.     

Note: Why Generations didn’t/couldn’t utilize the already-established Guardian of Forever to unite Kirk & Picard on-screen vs. creating its own insipid, one-time-only ‘Nexus’ is evidently an unsolved mystery.

The main detriment here, however, is that casual readers (especially young fans) are likely to be overwhelmed by three parallel narratives that jump around time at intervals.  Considering this complex plot is so heavily steeped in Trek continuity, familiarity with both the Original Series and Next Generation is a must.  While this ambitious novel isn’t flawless (it’s unnecessarily stilted at various junctures), Federation still delivers an intriguing ‘what-if’ crossover worthy of fan appreciation. Suffice to say, the co-authors conjure up a satisfying epic bridging Star Trek’s two primary eras vs. what the contrived Generations ultimately amounts to.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

The book leads off with a ‘Historian’s Timeline’ between Cochrane’s 2061 space flight to Picard’s Generations adventure in 2371.  The co-authors provide an acknowledgements page.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         8 Stars

Note: There’s another excellent Star Trek novel re: The Guardian of Forever. Author Peter David’s first ST: The Next Generation – Imzadi novel — occurring in the past, the present, and a possible far future, its exploration of Will Riker & Deanna Troi’s romance is well-played.

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS TRILOGY: RETURN OF THE JEDI {Junior Novelization}

Written by Ryder Windham /Based on the Story by George Lucas and Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & George Lucas

SUMMARY:

Published by Scholastic Books in 2004, this 188-page paperback adaptation is a junior film novelization of the mostly recently remastered edition of Return of the Jedi (i.e. the cameo presence of a younger Anakin Skywalker).  Bolstered by sixteen pages of film stills, author Ryder Windham updates the wording of the film’s original 1983 novelizationfor a contemporary pre-teen audience. Returning to Tatooine, Luke Skywalker leads a rescue effort to free a carbonite-frozen Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt’s stronghold.  Then, the Rebel Alliance faces its ultimate test: a two-prong assault to destroy the Galactic Empire’s nearly-built second Death Star.  Growing into his legacy as the last Jedi Knight, Luke learns another startling secret that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda have kept from him.  While his friends fiercely battle the Empire in a last-ditch effort to save the galaxy, Luke confronts Darth Vader and the ominous Emperor in a Jedi Knight’s last stand.

REVIEW:

As with his adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back, author Ryder Windham’s rehash is just as good (if not better) than the original novelization by James Kahn.  Considering the movie’s recycled plot elements, Windham succeeds in bolstering the film’s poignant depth at the right moments.  For pre-teen fans and adults, this version of Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi proves a treat to read.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

With brief one-line descriptions, the sixteen pages of photos are a major plus!

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                              8 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS TRILOGY: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK {Junior Novelization}

Written by Ryder Windham /Based on the Story by George Lucas and Screenplay by Leigh Brackett & Lawrence Kasdan

SUMMARY:

Published by Scholastic Books in 2004, this 235-page paperback adaptation is a junior film novelization of the 1997 remastered edition of George Lucas’ second Star Wars epic.  Sporting sixteen pages of film stills, author Ryder Windham updates the wording of The Empire Strikes Back’s original novelization for a contemporary pre-teen audience.  Three years have passed since the destruction of the Galactic Empire’s Death Star.  Forcing a showdown on the arctic planet, Hoth, Darth Vader’s evil forces scatter the outmatched Rebel Alliance.  While Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 pursue a mysterious quest to resume his Jedi training, Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon desperately eludes a relentless Imperial pursuit.  Seeking refuge at Lando Calrissian’s opulent Cloud City, Luke’s friends become expendable bait for Darth Vader’s sinister trap.  Can Luke save them in time?  Or will an even darker secret haunt him by challenging Vader alone?     

REVIEW:

Impressively, author Ryder Windham’s update equals that of Donald F. Glut’s original 1980 film novelization, and, in all fairness, it improves upon Glut’s work.  For instance, the lingering questions Luke is left with will keep readers turned in for Windham’s take on Return of the Jedi.  Considering the creative advantages of Empire’s impeccable screenplay and its timeless wealth of character depth, it would have been a significant letdown if Windham hadn’t capitalized.  For pre-teen fans and adults, too, this poignant version of Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a near-perfect time machine to experience the movie’s storyline once more.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

A prologue solidly sets up Darth Vader’s vengeful search for Luke and his friends.  With brief one-line descriptions, the sixteen pages of photos offer another worthwhile asset.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                           9 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS TRILOGY: A NEW HOPE {Junior Novelization}

Written by Ryder Windham / Based on the Story & Screenplay by George Lucas

SUMMARY:

Published by Scholastic Books in 2004, this 205-page paperback adaptation is a junior film novelization of the 1997 remastered edition of George Lucas’ first Star Wars epic (including Han Solo’s encounter with Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett).  Sporting sixteen pages of film stills, author Ryder Windham updates A New Hope’s original novelizationfor a contemporary pre-teen audience.  From the faraway desert world of Tatooine, young Luke Skywalker inadvertently becomes involved in a desperate rescue mission to save Princess Leia from captivity aboard the Galactic Empire’s new super-weapon: the Death Star.  Along with his new friends Han Solo, Chewbacca, C3PO, R2-D2, and the legendary Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke may be the overmatched Rebel Alliance’s unlikely savior of escaping imminent destruction by Darth Vader’s evil forces.   

REVIEW:

Aside from author Ryder Windham’s middling style (i.e. an infrequent use of adverbs that could better describe a character’s manner of speaking), this adaptation still makes a good read.  To his credit, Windham’s narrative flows better than the 1977 novelization ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster for George Lucas.  Still, it’s a fair guess that Windham wrote his text presuming that readers have already seen the movie multiple times.  Hence, his reference to the dubious scent of “fried Rodian” (after Greedo’s cantina shoot-out with Han Solo) as appetizing to some fellow aliens doesn’t seem as out-of-place for this book’s intended kiddie audience.

Windham’s fast-paced effort spells out scenes effectively, though bolstering tidbits of character depth isn’t a priority.  As such, his subsequent retreads of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are better reads, in part because their more complex storylines require the primary characters to evolve.  Even if Windham doesn’t incorporate much zip describing Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia, and Han Solo, this undemanding version of Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope should still make a welcome treat for pre-teens.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

With brief one-line descriptions, the sixteen pages of photos are a major plus!

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                                       7 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS: THE MYSTERY OF THE REBELLIOUS ROBOT (EARLY READERS)

Written by (Uncredited) & Illustrated by Mark Corcoran

SUMMARY:

Published in 1979 by Random House, this officially-licensed 32-page Star Wars paperback adventure evidently occurs shortly after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.  On Tatooine, Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance are anxiously awaiting a supply run by Han Solo & Chewbacca’s Millennium Falcon.  Luke is aiding the Rebellion’s science corps in building a ‘super-evaporator’ to produce the planet’s badly-needed water source.  Yet, the Falcon is unexpectedly sabotaged by R2-D2.  Saved by Luke’s heroics, Han and Chewbacca find out that mechanical operations for the Rebels’ Tatooine base also have been similarly sabotaged. 

Upon receiving necessary repairs, C-3PO and R2-D2 stumble upon the saboteurs.  Chewbacca’s intervention ensures that he finally receives his own medal for heroism from Princess Leia.              

REVIEW:

Meant for toddlers, this obscure storybook is a nostalgic treat.  Although Princess Leia appears in a non-speaking cameo, the other characters (particularly Chewbacca & R2-D2) come alive in a decent mini-mystery.  It’s a shame that Random House doesn’t identify the story’s author, but illustrator Mark Corcoran does a remarkably good job replicating the film’s characters (not to mention, the cover’s Millennium Falcon).  For the space epic’s youngest fans, Star Wars: The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot makes an ideal bedtime story.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

None.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                              8 Stars

Categories
Books & Novels Children's Books Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR WARS-Related

ADVENTURES OF HAN SOLO (EARLY READERS)

Written by Lindsay Kent

SUMMARY:

Published in 2011, this 32-page, Level 2 paperback book is intended for novice readers.  The chapters are as follows:

  • Han Solo (page 4)                                                       
  • Brave Warrior (page 6)
  • Chewbacca (page 8)
  • Millennium Falcon (page 10)
  • Smuggling (page 12)
  • Jabba the Hutt (page 14)
  • Mission to Alderaan (page 16)
  • Luke Skywalker (page 18)
  • Princess Leia (page 20)
  • Lando Calrissian (page 22)
  • Great Escapes (page 24)
  • Captured! (page 26)
  • The Sarlaac (page 28)
  • Battle of Endor (page 30)
  • Glossary (page 32).

REVIEW:

For early readers, the Star Wars imagery should at least jump-start them into exploring this book.  A remarkable asset of this basic Solo biography is the inclusion of some rare images of Solo and other Star Wars characters.    For instance, page 10 has an amusingly rare outtake from The Empire Strikes Back, featuring a goggles-clad Han Solo & Chewbacca repairing the Millennium Falcon. Of note is that Chewbacca is casually using Solo’s head as an armrest.  Overall, the combination of author Lindsay Kext’s appealingly simplistic text and vintage Star Wars photos supply a terrific motivation for children to get started on some ‘solo’ reading.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

At least thirty storybook photos from the Star Wars films accompany the author’s text. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                             8½ Stars

IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE

Categories
Anthologies Books & Novels Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS TRILOGY

Written by George Lucas; Alan Dean Foster; Donald F. Glut; & James Kahn

SUMMARY:

Released in 2004 by Ballantine Books, this 711-page softcover anthology reprints the novelizations of the original Star Wars Trilogy (1976’s Episode IV – Star Wars: A New Hope by George Lucas and his ghostwriter. Alan Dean Foster; 1980’s Episode V – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by Donald F. Glut; and 1983’s Episode VI – Star Wars: The Return of Jedi by James Kahn. 

At 260 pages, A New Hope notably includes scenes of Luke and his Tatooine friends (i.e. Biggs Darklighter) that were deleted from the film.  The Empire Strikes Back checks in at a crisp 216 pages, as its novelization doesn’t add previously-unseen material.  Only a captive Han Solo’s detention cell brawl with Lando Calrissian is briefly expanded. At 229 pages, the straight-forward Return of the Jedi also doesn’t offer deleted scenes.  Neither film stills nor reprints of the original novel covers are included.

REVIEW:

Faithful to their source material, the three adaptations age relatively well and are worth re-discovery.  Younger readers may be impressed by the spot-on storytelling that brings Luke Skywalker and his friends to life.  One might even go as far to say that Kahn’s literary effort delivers some better ‘acting’ than what actually appears on-screen in Return of the Jedi.  Still, considering its sheer length, this anthology would have benefited from a few visual materials (i.e. a film still montage insert) to entertain appreciative fans.  Even without colorful ‘extras,’ this collection is a treat to read, especially for those exploring the Star Wars universe for the first time.  

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Written in 2004, Lucas provides a two-page introduction.  A single page is set aside for paragraph-length biographies of the four authors.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                               7 Stars

Categories
Art & History Books & Novels DISNEY/PIXAR-Related Fantasy, Horror, & Science Fiction Movies & Television (Books) STAR WARS-Related

STAR WARS ICONS: HAN SOLO

Written by Gina McIntyre

SUMMARY:

Published in 2018 by Insight Editions (through Disney and Lucasfilm), this 242-page coffee table hardcover purports to be the ultimate visual guide to Han Solo.  In addition to examining his various incarnations (most notably, actors Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich), this collection’s insights includes rare glimpses of artwork, merchandising, and rare behind-the-scenes images from Solo’s live-action history.

For this project, insightful interviews with Ford, Ehrenreich, Peter Mayhew, Billy Dee Williams, Mark Hamill, directors J.J. Abrams and Ron Howard, screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Jake Kasdan, among others. 

Further, the character’s evolution (including preliminary sketch drawings) beginning with Lucas’ earliest version depicts how Han Solo became pivotal to the Star Wars saga.  The book also analyzes Solo’s appearances in comic books, radio, novels, newspaper strips, role-playing, video games, etc. over the past forty years.

REVIEW:

It’s stellar!  Short of a retrospective documentary, this informative, vault-like hardcover acknowledges seemingly everything imaginable about Han Solo.  There’s even a section on other pop culture characters evidently influenced by him.  Yet, unlike a video, author Gina McIntyre designs this nostalgic book in such an interactive way that fans can reach out and explore the character on a far more personal level.  McIntyre’s text stays on point and corresponds well with the constant imagery. 

The enormous wealth of visual material celebrates Harrison Ford’s legacy with rare glimpses from inside the original Star Wars trilogy.  Gratefully, there is far less emphasis on all the various forms of merchandise.  A reasonable portion covers 2018’s Solo movie, which confirms that this book is meant as a  cross-promotional tie-in.  While giving the prequel movie project its due, Star Wars Icons: Han Solo is far more an eye-popping treasure trove honoring Ford as the legendary Corellian smuggler-turned-Rebel hero.        

ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

As this book should be handled with care, the extra goodies include a bookmark, fold-out artwork, and multiple instances of detachable sketches.  Although there isn’t an index, there is a helpful bibliography and an acknowledgments page.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       10 Stars