Nexus: A Novel

Even dedicated Rush fans, who know their catalog inside and out and have absorbed Popoff's excellent 3-volume bio, will learn something new about our beloved band in this book.I think this book is for Rush fans, although anyone open-minded enough to read it (Rush fan or not) can learn something about being an authentic human being. I suppose fans will have their "favorite" band member - mine happens to be Alex, not Neil. But the essential nature of Rush is what these three awesome guys did TOGETHER - for their fans, their families, and most of all themselves. All three of them are titans, and accomplished something unprecedented in the history of music. None of them, not even Neil, could have done that alone. So in my view, the band is the common denominator through which their individual characters, achievements, and contributions to human existence are best viewed and appreciated.Dr. Birzer captures that texture perfectly. While Neil is the "main character" of the book and much of the analysis and anecdotes focus on him, I thought the book did a great job capturing the band dynamic and giving it its due and proper.I would respectfully disagree with some criticisms I saw of the book, particularly those that take issue with the fact that Birzer often views Neil's life, work and writings through what one might deem a theological or "religious" (I hate that word) lens. Neil, as any fan knows, would be described more as a humanist - certainly not a religious person in the conventional sense, although I would argue a deeply spiritual one in the best sense of the word. Goodness is found in character, integrity, and the pursuit of perfection. Truth is universal, and may be found in the strangest places. Beauty takes effort, intention, and talent to create. Neil Peart produced more goodness, truth and beauty in his life than countless people ever will regardless of their theology. That's good enough for me.In summary - this book is a must-read for all Rush fans, and even people too unsophisticated and dull (or too COOL) to be counted as one may yet be brought into the fold by an open-minded look at this excellent work from a gentleman and a scholar. Enjoy!

A standalone science fiction space opera book, no prequel or sequel. This is apparently Foster's 140th book to be published. I read the well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback published by WordFire Press in 2022. I have acquired and read many of Alan Dean Foster's books over 50+ years, I regard him to be one of our finest science fiction authors of my generation.One fine day in the not too distant future, a large spaceship arrived and went into orbit around Earth. The aliens in the spaceship demanded to speak with leaders of Russia, European Union, China, and the USA. When the USA sends its five person delegation, they are informed that the aliens require several tons of wheat and corn. The USA complies. Then the delegation asked to take a tour of the spaceship. And things go wonky at that point after they find out that the spaceship was stolen and the original owners are coming for it.Alan Dean Foster has a website where he has a neat picture of a KK-drive spaceship and all his book development notes at:My rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars (I could be talked into 5 stars)

Traditionally graphic novels are created in tribute to already established series to spread their message, to bring delight and to open new worlds to both those passionate about reading but also to reluctant readers. Let me preface this so I do not offend…I use graphic novels in my classroom to open new worlds to my students and to show them the power and influence of the written word and the power of art. Colt the Outlander was originally created by the Aradio Brothers for Heavy Metal Magazine. Quincy J. Allen has taken on the challenge to write a full length novel about the adventures of Colt and his two kick-ass women partners Jenna and Brem (think Lara Croft and Nyssa al Ghul). If you have had the pleasure of reading any of Quincy’s other novels and short stories (The Blood War Chronicles, Chemical Burn, short stories in The Monster Hunter Files, Out Through the Attic, The Best of Penny Dread Tales…) you know like Jenna and Brem, Quincy “Kicked Ass” in bringing the adventures of Colt The Outlander: Shadow of Ruin to life. Non-stop action on a brutal planet (Neb-6) where bounty hunters Colt, Jenna and Brem hunt the scum of the galaxy. Old school romp of adventure where the characters are welcome archetypes that stand for the grit and integrity that is missing in a lot of fictional heroes today. Graphic details, strong female characters, fresh metaphors, a mysterious savior (The Cahoka), a tribe of feline warriors, and evil AI robots to defeat. A fun, inspiring read reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard. John Carter and Dejah Thoris on steroids! Hopefully this is only the beginning of a continuing series. So many unanswered questions to pursue…who was Brem before she teamed up with Colt? What caused the “Great Darkness”? and what about Lazarius’ warning, “The shadow of ruin may yet guide our fate and lead us into oblivion.” Finally, I want to know more about the Creed people!***There is an excellent glossary of terms at the back of the book that help creates a feigned history that brings Colt and his companies’ adventures to life.

This edition, written by Bradley J. Birzer, is well put together. I am only part way through the book but I am satisfied with the way the author has presented Neil's reasonings for the wonderful lyrics he wrote. Addressing the process, album by album, helps the reader understand how words can become songs. You do begin to understand the complexity of writing for music. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book.

A good behind the curtain look at how two succesful authors use dictation in their work. They have different aproaches to the same problem and that provides a more balanced view of how you can use dictation to maximise your time and ramp up that word count.I'd like to use transcription software, but like Kevin, I use a Mac so Dragon is no use to me. That's a great shame. There must be something else out there for Macs.

「紅はこべ」の続編。サー・パーシーやマルグリートはもちろんだが、ショーヴランもまた登場。プロットとしては「紅はこべ」には劣るが、またあのさわやかなサー・パーシーの活躍、あの言動を読みたい人にはもちろん断然お勧めです。ショーヴランはまたもや紅はこべを「殺そう」と罠をはるのだが、紅はこべはいつでもその上をいっている。英語は少々古風ですが、ストーリーテリングは抜群です。何しろ翻訳がありませんので、これを読むしかありません。

From the start my interest was maintained. While I don’t agree with every philosophy NP held to, the fact he knew the “ why” of his beliefs is what makes this a compelling read. A must for fans of this poet, writer and awe inspiring musician!!!

River Runs Red is the first book in the Borderlands trilogy and is a fast paced thriller with a supernatural twist that peaks with an unorthodox ending rooted in the beginnings of life itself.James Truly is a CIA agent that’s been put out to pasture, now in charge of Operation Moon Flash, the agency’s covert Psychic investigations, not quite x-files but a division to counter act foreign nations efforts into the area of extrasensory perception. Truly has to divert his attention from his extra-curricular activities when his psychic contacts start reporting major problems and inexplicably dying along the way.CNN correspondent Wade Scheiner is taken hostage in Iraq but what’s more surprising to him is his eventual escape and he soon finds himself back home in the Borderlands where murder both past and present is very much in thoughts.Molly McCall is a reporter for the Voice of the Borderlands and she finds her skills stretched as she covers a series of murders, Molly’s brother and Wade’s best friend Byrd is in Providence Memorial hospital dying from Leukemia. These three characters re-united in tragic circumstances are about to witness some extremely strange events, murder is just around the corner and what do the words Kethili-cha mean, words from a dead language, words of power.River Runs Red is very much a character driven story of epic proportions, an intense experience with some surprises along the way. Where the line between good and bad is jaded and all is not as it seems. This was my first read from Jeff Mariotte and it certainly won’t be my last.