Evelyn C. Leeper's Home Page: Books, Travel, and More

This week's MT VOID contents :

The Gump Message (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
Mini-Reviews of 2014 Films, Part 2 
     (THE CASE AGAINST 8, 
     BIG BAD WOLVES, THE INTERNET'S OWN BOY, 
     WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD, THE SACRAMENT, WILD)
     (comments by Mark R. Leeper)
UNBROKEN (film review by Mark R. Leeper)
Google Cardboard (comments by Lee R. Beaumont)
GONE GIRL [SPOILERS] and Edited Films (letter of comment 
     by Tom Russell)
Actors (letter of comment by Kevin R)
Predictions (letter of comment by Philip Chee)
This Week's Reading (KINDRED) (book comments 
     by Evelyn C. Leeper)
Quote of the Week

Featured articles, trip logs, and convention reports:

• Philcon 2010 (November 2010) (45K)
• Philcon 2009 (November 2009) (33K)
• Philcon 2008 (November 2008) (33K)
• LonCon 3 (August 2014) (66K)
• Blog about Evelyn's Broken Hip (March-May 2013) (168K)
• Annotations and Thoughts on Moby Dick (IN PROGRESS) (84K)
• Wit and Humor in Moby Dick
• The International Legacy of Jorge Luis Borges (my class notes on a Comparative Literature course given at Penn State in 2007) (104K)
• Science Fiction Museum (Seattle) (April 2007) (35K)
• Ten Tips on Travel to Japan (updated for use by Nippon 2007 Worldcon attendees)
• What Is a Western?
• Time Travel on Television: The BBC/PBS "House" Shows
• Museum of Jurassic Technology (July 2005)
• Photo of restroom signs at L.A.con IV (trust me, you'll like it!)
• List of books read by the Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library's "Original" Book Group
• List of books read by the Old Bridge (NJ) Public Library's Science Fiction Book Group

Mark and I were Fan Guests of Honor for Windycon XXIX, November 8-10, 2002. Here are:

• My convention report
• A brief co-biography written for the Program Book by friend and seven-time Hugo nominee Bob Devney
• Further information on Windycon

What I do:

• I am currently one of the judges for the Sidewise Award for Alternate History.
  • Click here for "AH 101," a quick introduction to alternate history.
  • Click here for a list of Jewish-themed alternate histories.
• I read books and write book reviews.
• I travel and write travelogues and science fiction convention reports.
• I maintain various lists and pages:
  • Lists of bookstores throughout the world
  • A Magical Realism page of discussion and links
  • A Harry Potter page: differences between the British and American editions of the first book (work in progress)
  • A Sherlock Holmes booklist
  • The rec.arts.books FAQ
  • The rec.arts.sf.written FAQ
  • The rec.arts.movies FAQ
  • The rec.arts.sf.movies FAQ
  • Recommended DVD commentaries

If you want to get some idea of my philosophy, check out my .sig quotes.

I have been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer twelve times, most recently in 2001.

The MT VOID is a publication of the Mt. Holz science fiction club.

To subscribe, send mail to mtvoid-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mtvoid/.

Table of Contents

• 01/23/14, Vol. 33, No. 30: Comments on the Gump message and on Google cardboard; film reviews of Unbroken, The Case Against 8, Big Bad Wolves, The Internet's Own Boy, White Bird in a Blizzard, The Sacrament, and Wild; letters of comment on Gone Girl and edited films, on actors, and on predictions; and comments on books (Kindred).
• 01/16/14, Vol. 33, No. 29: Comments on eating after the apocalypse, on predictions, and on voices; television review of American horror Story: Coven; film review of PumpSelma; letters of comment on The Mentalist, on Rosetta and onPluto, and on Echopraxia; and comments on books (Oral Borges).
• 01/09/14, Vol. 33, No. 28: Comments on Philcon 2011, on the Loncon3 Artist Showcase, on sharks, and on smart thermostats; Mark's "Top Ten Films" list for 2014; book reviews of The Ruby Dice and Echopraxia; letters of comment on NASA and Time for the Stars, on various spacecraft, on Bess Myerson and Kitty Carlisle, on Forever, on The Mentalist, and on Filth; and comments on books (War and Peace).
• 01/02/14, Vol. 33, No. 27: Comments on Philcon 2009 and Philcon 2010, on feathered dinosaurs, and on de-cluttering; film reviews of Ivory Tower, Frank, Happy Christmas, Honeymoon, Filth, Life Partners, The Double, Nymphomaniac (I and II), The Imitation Game, and Birdman; television reviews of Ascension, Haven, Sleepy Hollow, Gotham, Forever, Scorpion, Shield, Vampire Diaries, Originals, Supernatural, Flash, Arrow, Constantine, The Mentalist, Z Nation, and The 100; letters of comment on The Origin of Species, and on space craft news; on dieting and longevity, on Doctor Who, and on the OFCS film awards; and comments on books (War and Peace).
• 12/26/14, Vol. 33, No. 26: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on the Christmas spirit, on layout, and Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in January, film review of Inside the Mind of Leonardo; letters of comment on Internet security, on Modernist Cuisine, on dieting and longevity, on Doctor Who, and on the OFCS film awards; and comments on books (The Origin of Species).
• 12/19/14, Vol. 33, No. 25: Comments on Doctor Who, on the OFCS film awards, on Philcon 2008, and on false safety in numbers; film review of Poker Night; film recommendations; letters of comment on La novia de Frankenstein, on dieting, and on spacecraft news; and comments on books (The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012).
• 12/12/14, Vol. 33, No. 24: Comments on the Soprano State and on TWILIGHT ZONE, Bradbury, and Serling; film reviews of Life Itself, Force Majeure, Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulger, Life's a Breeze, Frontera, Two Faces of January, The Missing Picture, Journey to the West, and The Babadook; book reviews of Lock In and Life at the Speed of Light; letters of comment on the Orion launch, on dieting, and on Pluto; and comments on books (La novia de Frankenstein (The Bride of Frankenstein)).
• 12/05/14, Vol. 33, No. 23: Comments on dieting, and on internet reviewing; film review of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night; book review of Field of Fantasies; letters of comment on Pluto, on The Great Rupert, on Robert A. Henlein, on Antarctica: A Year on Ice, and on dogs; and comments on books (Loeb Classical Library, book sales, and Murder in Mesopotamia).
• 11/28/14, Vol. 33, No. 22: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on a headline, on science in the popular media, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in December, and on streaming; book review of The Puppet Masters; film reviews of Antarctica: A Year on Ice and The Immortalists; letters of comment on knocks, on dogs, on Arrowsmith, on Interstellar, on Looper, and on history books; and comments on books (Women and the Military).
• 11/21/14, Vol. 33, No. 21: Comments on an updated film, and on dogs; film review of Interstellar; letters of comment on knocks and on Interstellar; and comments on books (Arrowsmith).
• 11/14/14, Vol. 33, No. 20: Comments on touchdown, on Yuri Gagarin, on kaiju, and on the Towers of Hanoi and learning; film reviews of Interstellar and Housebound; letters of comment on knocks and on alternate history; and comments on books (Congressional Government, and SuperFreakonomics).
• 11/07/14, Vol. 33, No. 19: Comments on an alternate history interview, on knocks, and on disconnected life; report on magazine editor round-table discussion; book review of Consider Phlebas; film review of Pelican Dreams; and comments on books (Burmese Days, The History of the Siege of Lisbon, and The Gospel According to Science Fiction).
• 10/31/14, Vol. 33, No. 18: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Himmelskibit and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in November, film review of Diplomacy; letters of comment on nixie tubes and on Sir Richard Francis Burton; and comments on books (The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2012).
• 10/24/14, Vol. 33, No. 17: Apology; comments on Medicare, on tree structures in art, and on the canon of horror films; film review of Wake Wood; book review of Engineering Infinity; letters of comment on color vision, on art, and on slide rules, nixie tubes, and numitrons; and comments on books (Thinking in Numbers, A Certain Ambiguity, The Wizard of Oz, and Vampyr).
• 10/17/14, Vol. 33, No. 16: Announcement of editor roundtable; kudos; comments on dinosaurs and on Close Encounters of the Third Kind; film review of The Decent One; letters of comment on art, on Ayn Rand, and on slide rules; and comments on books (Through the Language Glass).
• 10/10/14, Vol. 33, No. 15: Comments on art shows, on craftsmanship, on slide rules, and on the Creature from the Black Lagoon; film review of The Road; book review of The Android's Dream; letters of comment on Sir Richard Francis Burton and on antibiotics, and comments on books (Cat People and Homenaje a Agatha Christie: el caso del collar).
• 10/03/14, Vol. 33, No. 14: Comments on the Egyptian Book of the Dead, on art, and on disease; film review of Hero of the Day; convention report on LonCon 3; letters of comment on Drive Hard, on Hugo Awards, on Sir Richard Francis Burton, and on Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lives!: A World Without World War I. and comments on books (The Weird and The White Mountains).
• 09/26/14, Vol. 33, No. 13: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in October, and on memory; film reviews of Field of Lost Shoes, Believe Me, and Drive Hard; convention report on LonCon 3; letters of comment on Neil deGrasse Tyson, on sizing convention rooms, on Ayn Rand, and on Hugo Awards; and comments on books (In the Ocean of Night, Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lives!: A World Without World War I, and My Real Children).
• 09/19/14, Vol. 33, No. 12: Kudos; comments on zombie policemen, on dinosaurs and Gorgo, and on television in the 21 century; film review of The Scribbler; convention reports on LonCon 3; letters of comment on LonCon 3, on Mars One, on super-hero films, on political orientation, on robots, and on security. and comments on books (RetroHugo nominees, Siege of Khartoum, and "The Logical Status of Fictional Discourse") .
• 09/12/14, Vol. 33, No. 11: Comments on the length of the issue, on the Sidewise Awards, on buggies, and on Internet security; television reviews of the upcoming fall season; film review of The Galapagos Affair; convention reports on LonCon 3; book review of Life of Earth; letters of comment on LonCon 3, on In the Company of Thieves, on Ayn Rand, and on baseball; and comments on books (The City & the City and Ancillary Justice).
• 09/05/14, Vol. 33, No. 10: Comments on progress, on the missing "1984", and on the Belloit College Midset List; film review of ; convention reports on LonCon 3; letters of comment on In the Company of Thieves, on tsundoku and tsunami, on time machine fiction, on ethics versus religion, and on sports and science fiction; and comments on books (I'll Have What She's Having, All Roads Lead to Austen, and Bring the Jubilee).
• 08/29/14, Vol. 33, No. 9: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on time machine fiction, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in September, and on ethics versus religion; book reviews of In the Company of Thieves and Black Milk; film review of Rocks in My Pockets; letters of comment on credentials versus education, on tsundoku, on lustrums and fortnights, and on baseball, football, and fiction; and comments on books (Dr. Strangelove, Red Alert, There's More to New Jersey Than the Sopranos, The Soprano State, and Videohound's War Movies).
• 08/22/14, Vol. 33, No. 8: Announcement of Hugo Award winners; comments on the Phantoms of the Opera, and on the Hugos; film review of The Hundred-Foot Journey; letters of comment on counting countries, on life after people, on tsundoku, on the Phantoms of the Opera, on A World Lit Only by Fire?, and on Woody Allen and his scandal; and comments on books (El Señor Borges, The Drowned World, The Woman Who Died a Lot, and The Heroines).
• 08/15/14, Vol. 33, No. 7: Announcement of Retro Hugo Award winners; comments on tsundoku, on the Phantoms of the Opera, and on the Hugos and Retro Hugos; book review of A World Lit Only by Fire?; and comments on books (China Road).
• 08/08/14, Vol. 33, No. 6: Comments on maninasuitasauri, on tweeting con reports, on the Phantoms of the Opera, and on Google Robot, Space X Falcon 9, and a space drive; and comments on books (The Beleaguered City).
• 08/01/14, Vol. 33, No. 5: Comments on a Hugo Awards Ceremony party, on top documentary films, on Metropolis, on Neanderthal-human mating, on the Phantoms of the Opera, and on baseball and (science) fiction; film reviews of Lucy, Septic Man, and Wet Behind the Ears; book review of Yesterday's Kin; and comments on books (the Retro Hugo packet, The Coroner's Lunch, Killed at the Whim of a Hat, Revisioning 007: James Bond and Casino Royale, and The Demolished Man).
• 07/25/14, Vol. 33, No. 4: Listing of discussion dgroups; comments on the XPRIZE, on science fiction on television, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in August; film review of Aftermath; book reviews of We Are All Completely Fine and What Is Relativity?; letters of comment on Hugo nominations, on "Men into Space", and on 21 jokes; and comments on books (Fearing the Dark, The Innoccents Abroad, and Confederates in the Attic).
• 07/18/14, Vol. 33, No. 3: Comments on Readercon, on clever jokes, on the V-2, and on the Hugo nominations for Dramatic presentation; film reviews of Particle Fever, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and GreasePaint; book reviews of Ancillary Justice, Warbound, and Hard Magic; television review of Destination Space; and comments on books (The Smartest Kids in the World and You Are Not Special and Other Encouragements).
• 07/11/14, Vol. 33, No. 2: Comments on ice cream and on the tenth man; book review of Dreams and Shadows; letters of comment on Lawrence in Arabia, on Lowell Thomas, on Winston Churchill, on Arrowsmith, and on Doctor Who; and comments on books (Blindness, Time Traveler, and The Exploding Whale).
• 07/04/14, Vol. 33, No. 1: Comments on 31 science fiction terms, on GAME OF THRONES, and on Paris; book reviews of "The Wheel of Time" and Warbound; film reviews of The Edge of Tomorrow, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Redwood Highway, and Driven; letters of comment on Ancillary Justice and on vampires; and comments on books (Daughter of Time, John O'Hara's Hollywood, At the Molehills of Madness, and Life and Liszt).
• 06/27/14, Vol. 32, No. 52: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in October, on NASA FTL travel, and on nuclear fusion; book reviews of Ancillary Justice and Our Mathematical Universe; letters of comment on "Parasitology", on logic and fantasy, and on Anthem; and comments on books (The Guns of August, Blueprint for Armageddon, and "A History of the 20th Century, with Illustrations").
• 06/20/14, Vol. 32, No. 51: Comments on space crews, on space policy, on Godzilla, on the nature of science, and on logic and fantasy; book reviews of Parasite and The Moon's Shadow; film review of Rigor Mortis; letters of comment on Athem, and on Costco; and comments on books (Retro Hugos: "Dead Knowledge", "Hollywood on the Moon", "Pigeons from Hell", "Rule 18", "Werewoman", "The Faithful","Helen O'Loy", "Hollerbochen's Dilemma", "How We Went to Mars", "Hyperpilosity").
• 06/13/14, Vol. 32, No. 50: Comments on old-time movies, and on Costco; film reviews of X-Men: Days of Future Past, Lullaby, and Ride Report; letter of comment on library skills; and comments on books (Retro Hugos:Anthem, "A Matter of Form", "Sleepers of Mars", "The Time Trap", and "Who Goes There?").
• 06/06/14, Vol. 32, No. 49: Comments on library skills, and on boycotts; SpaceX factory tour report; letters of comment on women's suffrage; and comments on books (Retro Hugos: The Legion of Time, Out of the Silent Planet, and The Sword in the Stone).
• 05/30/14, Vol. 32, No. 48: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in June; film review of Kids' Rights; letters of comment on science fiction versus science fact, and on the effect of Star Wars; and comments on books (Retro Hugos: Carson of Venus and Galactic Patrol).
• 05/23/14, Vol. 32, No. 47: Links for science fiction to science fact, how Star Wars ruined SF, the Pope and Martians, Hugo nominees, and Nebula winners; comments on corals; film review of Godzilla (2014); book review of Three Parts Dead; letters of comment on summer trailers, and on kids these days; and comments on books (Celebration, U.S.A.).
• 05/16/14, Vol. 32, No. 46: Comments on context, and on movie trailers; book review of The Lies of Locke Lemora; film review of As High as the Sky; letters of comment on genealogy and DNA, on meat, on the Hugo nominations, and on freebie books; and comments on books (Imagined Communities, The Art of the Moving Picture, and Hugo Award news).
• 05/09/14, Vol. 32, No. 45: Comments on drones, on evolution, on back pain and refrigerators, and on flying; film reviews of Bears and Living Things; letters of comment on the Hugo nominations, and on genealogy and DNA; and comments on books (Life at the Speed of Light and "Written in Blood").
• 05/02/14, Vol. 32, No. 44: Free SF Classics, the appeal of science fiction; comments on a new book and on eating spiders and insects; film review of The Quiet Ones; comments on free-space settlements in film (Elysium) and television (The 100); book review of The Madonna and the Starship; letters of comment on the Hugo nominations; and comments on books (book sales and The Possessed).
• 04/25/14, Vol. 32, No. 43: Hugo nominations; comments on organ donations, on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in May, and on the Seder; film review of Transcendence; book reviews of Sphrerical Harmony and Beyond the Rift; and comments on books (thoughts on the Hugo and Retro Hugo nominees).
• 04/18/14, Vol. 32, No. 42: Comments on Hugo nominations announcement, on pearl, and on worlds with mystical creatures; television reviews of Bitten, Helix, and Intelligence; book review of Abaddon's Gate; film review of Speideh; letter of comment on Robinson Crusoe on Mars; and comments on books (The Martian).
• 04/11/14, Vol. 32, No. 41: Comments on a folk song, on the science in Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and on "The Five Orange Pips"; film review of Hide Your Smiling Faces; and comments on books (Lawrence in Arabia).
• 04/04/14, Vol. 32, No. 40: Comments on Robinson Crusoe on Mars; film reviews of The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) and Too Sane for This World; letters of comment on the numbers of things, and on Ealing comedies; and comments on books (Dimension of Miracles).
• 03/28/14, Vol. 32, No. 39: Solution to puzzle; announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on Retro Hugo nominations, on a German 1938 SF film, and on Mark's picks for Turner Classic Movies in April; letters of comment on passwords and on the numbers of things; and comments on books (Wild Ones).
• 03/21/14, Vol. 32, No. 38: Puzzle; comments on Bruce Sterling at SXSW, on futurist terms, on another you, on the digital comic museum, on passwords, on The Postman's moral ambiguity, and on counting countries; film reviews of Mars, Veronica Mars, and uwantme2killhim?; letters of comment on the numbers of things, on All Is Lost, and on Daylight Saving Time; and comments on books (Longbourn and The Riddle of the Labyrinth).
• 03/14/14, Vol. 32, No. 37: Comments on exchange students, and on the number of things in Horatio's philosophy; book review of The Quantum Rose; film commentary on All Is Lost; letters of comment on Little Big Man, on Daylight Saving Time, on mathematics, on Cosmos, and on James Gunn; and comments on books (Osama: A Novel and The Children of Men).
• 03/07/14, Vol. 32, No. 36: Comments on Mr. Hublot, on Starlog magazine, on power, on the "Science in the Capital" series, and on provincial numbers; book review of Transcendental; letter of comment on TCM recommendations; and comments on books (The Apes of Wrath and Little Big Man).
• 02/28/14, Vol. 32, No. 35: Announcement of science fiction discussion groups; comments on ghosts and logic, on Mark's picks for TCM in March, and on travelers, tourists, and food; film review of Odd Thomas; letters of comment on special effects in The War of the Worlds, on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance;, on Year's Best SF, and on Luddites; and comments on books (Tell Borges If You See Him).
• 02/21/14, Vol. 32, No. 34: Comments on prayer rings, on the Singularity, on snow, on seeing films again, and on The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance; film reviews of The Lego Movie and Hairbrained 6; book review of Year's Best SF 18; letters of comment on the Golden Age of SF/F television and on Luddites; and comments on books (Fourteen Byzantine Ruler).
• 02/14/14, Vol. 32, No. 33: Comments on specialization, on travel, and on repairs; film reviews of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Cabin in the Woods, Nebraska, Philomena, and Fast & Furious 6; letters of comment on The Rapture of the Nerds, on 2013 science fiction, on Sir Thomas More, and on puns; and comments on books (Phnom Penh: A Cultural History, Angkor, Ancient Angkor, Angkor: Heart of an Asian Empire, and The King's Last Song).
• 02/07/14, Vol. 32, No. 32: Comments on a Campbellian anthology, on a PRI show about science fiction, on "The Fourth Man", and on the children of protagonists; film reviews of Blue Caprice, The Broken Circle Breakdown, The Purge, Monster University, The Wind Rises, The Tower, and The Outsider; book review of On the Steel Breeze; letters of comment on mainstream science fiction, and on Luddites; and comments on books (The Rapture of the Nerds).

Older back issues are available here and at fanac.org.

Here are some links to sites of interest:

• the incomparable Mark R. Leeper's Home Page
• The Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
• SF-Lovers Archive
• Uchronia Alternate History List, Overview
• Steven Silver's Jewish Science Fiction Bibliography

Also available are: