JT
@johntilden.net
📤 40
📥 46
📝 121
Mostly Retired. I write a little.
My final "Short Take" of the year just under-the-wire! Are you a
#harrypotter
fan?
johntilden.net?p=713
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Full Cast Audio (Audible, 2025)
One last Short Take for 2025. I finished listening today to the adaptation of the first Harry Potter book. I've read all the books and seen all the movies, basically once. (My wife can quote whole pa...
https://johntilden.net/?p=713
24 days ago
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Finished up my Christmas reading!
#douglasadams
inspired.
johntilden.net?p=707
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The Dirk Gently Graphic Novels (IDW, 2016-2017)
After hearing the Douglas Adams audiobook earlier in the year, I was again interested in the ancillary Dirk Gently stories published by IDW starting in 2016. These were tie-ins and publicity to the B...
https://johntilden.net/?p=707
24 days ago
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This review is still valid, if not timely.
#aljardine
#petsoundsband
johntilden.net?p=696
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Some Thoughts on Al Jardine and The Pet Sounds Band
Live at Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD September 13, 2025 The older I get, the more I treasure experiences. This is apparently not an uncommon way to age. I think that Al Jardine must feel the same way...
https://johntilden.net/?p=696
26 days ago
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Look, up in your feed, it's a Superman post!
johntilden.net?p=691
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Superman Over the Years
This post covers two items I just got for Christmas. The first, Superman: Welcome to Metropolis by David Lewman (who doesn't even get his name on the cover) was released in 2025 as the only tie-in bo...
https://johntilden.net/?p=691
27 days ago
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You love this one or you hate it.
#Heinlein
johntilden.net?p=684
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Starship Troopers 25th Anniversary Edition [4K] (2022)
I've owned almost every edition of Starship Troopers that's been released since 1997. I just got the 25th Anniversary Steelbook case edition as I only recently bought a 4K television. Apparently the ...
https://johntilden.net/?p=684
28 days ago
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Great live set that's been out-of-print for a while. If you never got a chance to see BW live at least you can get a sense of Brian at his touring peak.
johntilden.net?p=679
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Live at the Roxy Theatre (25th Anniversary) by Brian Wilson (2025)
This is one of the few recent releases that I have played on vinyl LP, streaming, and most recently as a Christmas-present CD. I was lucky enough to have won the 3 LP version last month from a chat wi...
https://johntilden.net/?p=679
29 days ago
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Nice first novel by Susan Jo Lewis.
johntilden.net?p=673
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Judith’s Journey by Susan Jo Lewis (Amazon, 2025)
I am not normally one for historical fiction, but the author is a friend who has been working on this story for a long time, and I am proud of her that she made it to publication. As you can tell by ...
https://johntilden.net/?p=673
29 days ago
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My "new" Christmas watch for the season:
johntilden.net?p=669
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Spirited (AppleTV, 2022)
Watched this last night, and it was perfectly suited for a 'heartwarming' Christmas movie. Not a huge fan of Will Ferrell, and Ryan Reynolds is mostly tolerable because he makes fun of himself. You c...
https://johntilden.net/?p=669
29 days ago
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Will this be my last read of 2025? Probably not. ;)
johntilden.net?p=664
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Unrivaled (2023)
I picked this up as a part of my BookBale Kickstarter from Caezik Press. With these four stories I figured I couldn't go wrong. Four novellas that all won awards? I'd only read one of them before--Na...
https://johntilden.net/?p=664
about 1 month ago
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Watching this tonight was a whole different experience than if I had seen it last week. :(
johntilden.net?p=658
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Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (HBOMax, 2025)
While this had been on my radar as going to be released at the end of 2025, the tragic event of the murders of Rob and Michele Reiner made me watch this "mockumentary" followup in a very different lig...
https://johntilden.net/?p=658
about 1 month ago
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If you have seen the first two, you'll like this one, too:
johntilden.net?p=654
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Wake Up Dead Man (Netflix, 2025)
We got to this one fairly quickly as we've enjoyed the two previous "Knives Out" stories. As usual this one's got a great cast (I didn't even recognize Thomas Haden Church). This one carves up a twis...
https://johntilden.net/?p=654
about 1 month ago
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@adapalmer.bsky.social
I can now look you in the eye!
johntilden.net?p=650
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Too Like The Lightning by Ada Palmer (2016)
OK, this one has been a long time coming. It was one of the first ebooks I collected, just sitting there in my queue. I have friends who speak very highly of Dr. Palmer's work. Heck, I've met and s...
https://johntilden.net/?p=650
about 1 month ago
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This book is going to explode in the general population when the movie comes out.
johntilden.net?p=642
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Deluxe Edition for DCUI Ultra (2025)
Sorry for that mouthful in the title, but this week I received a special reprint of the 2021 miniseries. It was one of the first things I read completely on my tablet, so it's funny that I now have a ...
https://johntilden.net/?p=642
about 2 months ago
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Any
#Wings
fans out there?
johntilden.net?p=635
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Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run (2025)
This book is credited to Paul McCartney, but as an oral history the credit really goes to historian/editor Ted Widmer and the crew at Paul's company MPL that had all the archives. The book is seen as...
https://johntilden.net/?p=635
about 2 months ago
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Did you catch the latest DC-Marvel collaborations?
johntilden.net?p=630
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Batman Deadpool (DC/Marvel, 2025)
There's been a great collaboration between the two American superhero comics powerhouses since March 1976 and Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man. Every few years something would crop up, and these s...
https://johntilden.net/?p=630
about 2 months ago
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The Beatles are still the greatest band ever.
johntilden.net?p=623
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The Beatles Anthology 2025 (Disney+)
I've been a huge fan of The Beatles ever since I could listen to music. (It comes from having older brothers with good taste as well.) I watched the original broadcast on ABC and still have a VHS tape...
https://johntilden.net/?p=623
about 2 months ago
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Just finished this standalone novel from
@adeena.trekgeeks.com
. I liked it and if you like good speculative fiction you probably will too!
johntilden.net?p=611
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Lunar Logic by Adeena Mignogna (2024)
I met Adeena two years ago at Balticon. She gave an interesting talk on "Space Junk". At the end she quickly promoted her books and I took note. I first read her "Crazy Robots" series, which had som...
https://johntilden.net/?p=611
2 months ago
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Some thoughts from someone who just came around to _The Diplomat_.
johntilden.net?p=606
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The Diplomat S1-S3 (Netflix)
I gave this show a try because many of my friends said how good it was. They were not wrong! Surprisingly, this is the first show I've ever watched with Keri Russell in it. She's a very compelling a...
https://johntilden.net/?p=606
2 months ago
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I like Joe Haldeman's SF work, but did you know he's written two novels that use his Viet Nam experience most directly? Check out my first dual review:
johntilden.net?p=598
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War Year (1972) and 1968 (1994) by Joe Haldeman
I don't normally post dual reviews, but I think this one lends well to a comparison. War Year was Joe Haldeman's first published novel. It is not in the science fiction genre he is a Grand Master of....
https://johntilden.net/?p=598
2 months ago
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Do you like disaster stories? Consider this one by David Gerrold & Ctein:
johntilden.net?p=595
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Ripple Effect by David Gerrold & Ctein (2024, Patreon)
I read the excerpt "Bubble and Squeak" from the collection G is for Gerrold. Here's the thing: it's the best part of the book, talking about a relationship between two characters and what happens. D...
https://johntilden.net/?p=595
2 months ago
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I'm a huge
#Wings
fan (the band not the TV show), but not of this latest collection.
johntilden.net?p=589
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Wings (multiple music formats, 2025)
McCartney's latest legacy project is this 32-track overview of the second band McCartney was in. I am a huge fan of Wings, and if you are, too, you don't need this collection. For new fans, it gives ...
https://johntilden.net/?p=589
2 months ago
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Fans of Only Murders
#omitb
do you agree with me about season five?
johntilden.net?p=585
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Only Murders in the Building (S5, 2025, Hulu)
Note: this is commentary on all of Season 5, so there are Spoilers! x x x This is my wife's favorite show on television, and we've been watching since we tried Hulu at season one mainly to see the sho...
https://johntilden.net/?p=585
2 months ago
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A good tie-in novel. Starting to catch up on
@johnjacksonmiller.bsky.social
's Batman novels.
johntilden.net?p=577
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Batman Resurrection by John Jackson Miller (2024)
I thank the deals service BookBub telling me about this one, as it came up on sale a couple of months ago. The book takes place very soon after the end of the events of the first Tim Burton Batman m...
https://johntilden.net/?p=577
2 months ago
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Cozy up to a new murder mystery movie on Netflix.
johntilden.net?p=570
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The Thursday Murder Club (2025, Netflix)
My wife and I recently watched this enjoyable cozy mystery set at a posh retirement community in the UK. (At least it looked posh to me!) I thought it was wonderfully cast. Helen Mirren chews up any s...
https://johntilden.net/?p=570
3 months ago
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Recently watched this movie. I am not sure if casual fans of
#johnlennon
enjoyed it or not.
johntilden.net?p=564
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Nowhere Boy (2009)
I happened onto this as a short clip on YouTube, then I found the full movie posted. (I think it's also currently on Netflix.) I missed this one when it came out as I was in full work-family mode then...
https://johntilden.net/?p=564
3 months ago
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Comics fans! Care enough for some historical scholarship reading? I did.
#costumedavenger
johntilden.net?p=556
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The Evolution of the Costumed Avenger by Jess Nevins (2017)
I was aware of this book when it came out, but as a niche publication in hardcover it was pricey. I've been watching used prices for about a year and finally decided now was the time to pick up a copy...
https://johntilden.net/?p=556
3 months ago
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How long has it been since you've had a good belly laugh?
#nakedgun
johntilden.net?p=550
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The Naked Gun (2025)
I was a big fan of the silly humor of the original Police Squad and its follow-on movies. This latest in the exploits of the LAPD's special squad now follows Frank Drebin's son, played by Liam Neeson...
https://johntilden.net/?p=550
3 months ago
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It was time for a small-screen rewatch.
#superman
forever--even if Batman is the best. ;)
johntilden.net?p=542
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Superman (2025, HBOMax)
I'd been putting off my first "home watch" of the Superman reboot and the right time came up yesterday. After reading all of the "Easter Egg" site posts, it turns out that the major thing that I miss...
https://johntilden.net/?p=542
3 months ago
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Any _How I Met Your Mother_ fans out there? Thanks to the YouTube algorithm I got sucked into the show's last season again.
johntilden.net?p=536
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How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
NOTE: The show's been finished for over ten years, but if you are watching it for the first time, don't read this as it spoils some parts of the last season. I had this to say after the series finale:...
https://johntilden.net/?p=536
3 months ago
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There are so many "classic" books I haven't read. But now there's one fewer!
johntilden.net?p=531
#annemccaffrey
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The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey (1969)
There are certain "classic" books that I have just never read. I found a copy of this one in a library book sale in New York this past summer and read it this week. I hadn't realized that this "orig...
https://johntilden.net/?p=531
3 months ago
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Fans of
#theboys
will like both seasons of
#GenV
.
johntilden.net?p=527
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Gen V S2 (Amazon Prime, 2025)
If you didn't watch Season 1, you really should go back and watch it. The "Previously on" won't give the full flavor of what you need. After having watched S2, I think it is ESSENTIAL for those who ar...
https://johntilden.net/?p=527
3 months ago
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I am behind on my movie-watching. Found a couple of mindless ones on Netflix!
johntilden.net?p=524
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The Old Guard 1 & 2 (Netflix, 2020 & 2025)
I caught up on some TV this weekend, including a movie I'd had on "My List" for some time. I liked it, so I also watched the sequel that just came out this year. The basic setup follows some beings t...
https://johntilden.net/?p=524
3 months ago
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I love Wonder Woman, but I should have just skipped this adaptation from five years ago.
johntilden.net?p=519
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WW84: The Junior Novel by Calliope Glass (2020)
I know that some of you will accuse me of having junior humour, and you're not exactly wrong! But this was the ONLY adaptation of the WW84 film, and curiosity got me. I don't know how long the linke...
https://johntilden.net/?p=519
3 months ago
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Anyone a fan of
#douglasadams
out there? I recently 'read' a new audiobook collecting interviews about topics Douglas was interested in. My Short Take:
johntilden.net?p=513
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Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth edited by Arvind Ethan David (2025)
I saw this as a Kickstarter last year and backed it, though not as an earlybird to get every bonus. I did get bonus audio. It came out in June 2025 and I got around to listening to it from the end of ...
https://johntilden.net/?p=513
3 months ago
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Any fans of the Liaden Universe out there? I'm a newbie and just read a random entry. What did I think? Glad you asked....
johntilden.net?p=509
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Fair Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (2022)
Through my involvement in The Heinlein Society I have become a regular attendee at Balticon, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society's annual SF convention. BSFS and THS award the "Heinlein Award" and ...
https://johntilden.net/?p=509
3 months ago
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@scalzi.com
I think you were the one who first told me about peanuts and candy corn. A pox upon your waistline, sir! ;)
3 months ago
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Any Wonder Woman fans out there?
johntilden.net?p=506
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Wonder Woman by Nancy Holder (2017)
While travelling visiting family this past Spring, I found this book in a used book store. It's a sad fact that movie-tie-in novelizations aren't being done any more, except for those aimed at younge...
https://johntilden.net/?p=506
3 months ago
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Are you a Peacemaker (DC) fan? I wasn't, but then I watched S2 on HBO Max. Short take here:
johntilden.net?p=503
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Peacemaker Season 2 (2025, HBO Max)
I have not been a huge fan of the character of Peacemaker in the comics. Like Harley Quinn, I really didn't see the fuss until there were some changes and growth in the character. I didn't like Peac...
https://johntilden.net/?p=503
4 months ago
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Any other David Feintuch fans out there? Just finished the audiobooks for the "Seafort Saga".
#davidfeintuch
johntilden.net?p=498
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The “Seafort Saga” on Audiobook (Audible)
I started listening to book one (Midshipman's Hope) in November 2024 and finished with book seven (Children of Hope) at the end of September 2025. These are long books, between eighteen and twenty-fo...
https://johntilden.net/?p=498
4 months ago
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A new novel from
@scalzi.com
and a couple of observations about it from me!
johntilden.net?p=495
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The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi (2025)
This is the seventh book in Scalzi's most well-known series that started with Old Man's War. You don't have to have read from the beginning to read this book, but you will miss out on some of the con...
https://johntilden.net/?p=495
4 months ago
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Thanks to my library system, I was one of the first to read this book since it's just published.
johntilden.net?p=489
.
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Framed in Death by J.D. Robb (2025)
I put this on hold at just the right time, so I was one of the first few library readers to devour this book. This is the umpty-zillionth in the "in Death" series written by Nora Roberts under her pe...
https://johntilden.net/?p=489
4 months ago
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@marthawells.com
published a Star Wars novel in 2013 and I just read it. I have more stuff of hers to catch up on outside of Murderbot stories, but here's what I thought of this one:
johntilden.net?p=486
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Razor’s Edge by Martha Wells (2013)
In finding a cover image, I found out that this novel will be reissued in November 2025 as one of the "Essential Legends" series. This is, of course, Disney's way to cash in on their scuttling of the...
https://johntilden.net/?p=486
4 months ago
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a new short take about a wonderfully-done biography in comics form.
johntilden.net?p=483
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It Rhymes with Takei by George Takei and Steven Scott (2025)
I read this in a digital version. Nice clean art and beautifully laid-out for a graphical presentation. I knew that George Takei had a history of activism in California, but this book goes over all o...
https://johntilden.net/?p=483
4 months ago
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reposted by
JT
Martha Wells
5 months ago
Humblebundle to support World Central Kitchen, and get a bunch of my books from
@tordotcom.bsky.social
including Murderbot and Witch King!
#booksky
www.humblebundle.com/books/martha...
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Humble Book Bundle: Martha Wells' Murderbot and More by TOR
Fall in love with Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries series—the engine behind the hit AppleTV adaptation—and help support World Central Kitchen.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/martha-wells-murderbot-and-more-tor-books
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Short Takes are back! Have you ever read this one? A classic about AI from years ago.
johntilden.net?p=478
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When HARLIE Was One by David Gerrold (1972)
I picked this one up at a library sale in New York and it took a few months to get to it. Like most authors I follow, I've been reading David's work very much out of order. This is an early work, an...
https://johntilden.net/?p=478
5 months ago
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My latest short take is on new non-fiction by a wonderful author, Alec Nevala-Lee. Go back and read his other two biographies as well!
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Collisions by Alec Nevala-Lee (2025)
Since I have a passing acquaintance with Alec, I look at his new projects with interest. Collisions is a thorough biography of Luis Alvarez, a physicist who was involved with several interesting disc...
https://johntilden.net/?p=473
6 months ago
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Another great read from Robert J. Sawyer that I am VERY late to the party for. Have you read this one?
johntilden.net?p=470
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Illegal Alien by Robert J. Sawyer (1997)
I have been reading Sawyer's books for a long time on-and-off. This one I acquired recently and got inscribed to me when I met Rob at Balticon this year. I just got to the book this week and finishe...
https://johntilden.net/?p=470
6 months ago
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Hey, look at that, the post preview picked up my image! Do you like Allen Steele's work?
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Lunar Descent by Allen Steele (1991)
This is apparently the third in Steele's "Near Space" series. I am very late to the party in reading it, as I've only read one other Steele book. It read well not knowing about the other books. An ...
https://johntilden.net/?p=464
6 months ago
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Whew! I got through volume 2 of the amazing McCartney Legacy series recently. Have you read it?
johntilden.net?p=459
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The McCartney Legacy vol. 2 by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair (2024) – JohnTilden.Net
https://johntilden.net/?p=459
7 months ago
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Another Short Take (I think I'm caught up now on my last few weeks. ;) Have you read any John M. Ford?
johntilden.net?p=454
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Growing up Weightless by John M. Ford (1993) – JohnTilden.Net
https://johntilden.net/?p=454
7 months ago
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