The People's History of Sports in the United States

Howard Zinn's classic history book, "A People's History of the United States", is one of the most important books ever written. To say that it should be required as taught in public schools is an understatement. It is a staggering book, and one of its largest impacts is its inspiring a slew of pin-point "People's History" sequels. I have read great entries in the series about the Vietnam War and the Mexican Revolution.

The topic of this book might not seem as important as the aforementioned, but consider how much sports invades our culture. This book tries to dispell the myth of the thoughtless care-free jock. A part of me wished there had been more, but the powerful actions of sports heroes of the past, described here, mostly left me wondering what happened. Where are the activist athletes today?

Charity is really a huge part of the modern sports industry, but standing up against injustice is not. Today racism is less of an issue. Players have stronger unions. So much has changed.

Highlights of this book include: Muhammad Ali, Jessie Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and the University of Washington's football team's protesting the Vietnam War.

The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

This novel is a sequel to my favorite read of last year: Old Man's War. This is the second of a four-book cycle. So far i can say that Scalzi has crafted a second flawless masterpiece of military sci-fi. It's filled to the brim with amazing ideas, a creative universe, and exciting and emotional relevant action. The reason these books rule is due to the rich and vivid characters created by Scalzi. That is saying something since, in this case, the people are quite different from us. These novels are the strongest, geekiest novels of the 21st century.

Book Review: Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

vFull Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

One cannot write as many books as King has written without putting out a few stinkers. But he also has a habit of dropping a book from time to time that serves to remind us that he is a master. To me, Full Dark, No Stars is King's most perfect book since Gerald's Game, and I admit that I didn't or rather, could not, finish Duma Key or Lisey's Story. I wanted to, but couldn't. This collection of four novellas is so strong, I am floored.

King's best works tend to be novellas and short stories. Not to say that he hasn't created masterpieces in some of his novels, probably a dozen or so. I knew that King had some dark, brutal material in him, as his recent collection Just After Sunset includes such material. This new collection, Full Dark, No Stars, contains work stronger than that within Different Seasons, and like that book, has three masterfully written pieces and a fourth very solid entry. I loved all four.

The first within the collection is a classic King tale, set in Nebraska, a place in which King has never lived! 1922 is a first-person period piece, with that bumpkin-on-a-porch narrative at which King excels. King wanted to tell a story set in an isolated rural family environment, before the world was connected by phone lines. The plot revolves around a father and son who murder their wife/mother in order to save the farm which she owns. This dark and tragic story is the weakest of the four in the collection, but still a great read.

The second novella is a painfully hard-to-read rape revenge story entitled Big Driver. I cringed hard at some of King's language describing the rape scene, but I believe that his intentions here are good. This tale is ranked among King's other feminist-themed works such as Rose Madder and Delores Clayborne.

The third entry is a mean-spirited dark comedy called Fair Extension. This is not a new or original tale, but damn is it ever well-written. A man dying of cancer can purchase the cure, but must curse the friend of whom he's been jealous his whole life. I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this one, but geez, was this ever a mean story.

The last story in this collection is a really cool horror tale entitled Good Marriage. The story involves Darcy, who after twenty-seven years of marriage, learns by accident that her husband is a serial killer. King really nails this one, showing his skills by creating amazing suspense and tension for several pages of having the truth be revealed.

This collection is a must-have for King fans, and for fans of horror who think that King has lost the magic touch. This one brings it for sure.

Podcast: Bobby Joe, Intergalatic War Hero

David Agranoff author of the 'Vegan Revolution...With Zombies' reading his short story "Bobby Joe, Intergalactic War Hero." Warning this story has both adult and stupid language. Agranoff is the author of the Wonderland Award nominated 'Screams from a Dying World' (best collection 2009), and the Kungfu Dark Fantasy 'Hunting The Moon Tribe.' All available on Amazon.

Produced by Larry Hall for Langhorne Presents THE IGNORANT SLUT. (We recorded it in his garage) Larry had to stick his face in a pillow to keep from laughing and screwing up David's rhythm.

Podcast: Reading 'Grip'

David Agranoff author of Vegan Revolution...With Zombies, Hunting the Moon Tribe and the Wonderland award nominated Screams From a Dying World. Reading a dark Sci-fi short named Grip. It's previously unpublished or uncollected Copyright @2011 David Agranoff. Recorded and produced by Larry Hall.

Book Review: Clive Barker's HellRaiser; Pursuit of the Flesh

Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Pursuit of the Flesh Volume 1
by Clive Barker & Christopher Monfette, Leonardo Manco (Illustrator)
Boom! Studies 128 pages

During most of my life Clive Barker has been my favorite author, as far as professional heroes go he is one of them for sure. He has had a rough go of it lately. Lots of projects and books have been promised and only half of those (mostly films) have seen the light of day. Publishing wise Barker was dropped by his long time publisher after failing to deliver a collection of horror shorts called the Scarlet Gospels.

This collection has been rumored for almost a decade, and...more

During most of my life Clive Barker has been my favorite author, as far as professional heroes go he is one of them for sure. He has had a rough go of it lately. Lots of projects and books have been promised and only half of those (mostly films) have seen the light of day. Publishing wise Barker was dropped by his long time publisher after failing to deliver a collection of horror shorts called the Scarlet Gospels.

This collection has been rumored for almost a decade, and was said to feature Barker's return to the hellraiser-verse with a story about the death of it's villain Pinhead. Delay, after delay followed. In part because what was supposed to be a short story about Pinhead, became a novella, then as Barker kept writing it became a very, very long novel. The Scarlet Gospels became a separate project and different short story collection was said to be on the way.

Neither happened, I suppose Barker and the publishing powers that be had different ideas on how to market the work. The publisher claimed Barker couldn't stop revising it, or that he got distracted by other books(Mister B.Gone, Abarat 3) and film projects. Who knows for real.

Hellraiser is one of my favorite films ever, I am sure for Barker it has special place as it was his first film as director. So like many Hellraiser fans he helplessly watched as shitty sequel after shitty sequel was made with Pinhead that seemed to have little to do with his story. Personally I have found even Hellraiser 2 which Barker was somewhat involved with doesn't hold up well.

Barker clearly fell back in love with the story while workin on the Scarlet Gospels. Good thing because he decided to get involved in writing this graphic novel series. Not only does it return to the mythlogy of the story but follows the first stories heroine Kristy Cotton. After 25 years of haunting memories a trip to hell and back she has devoted herself to destroying the box and any gateway to hell.

Pinhead on the other hand is bored. The pain and pleasure is all getting to be tiresome. Barker seems to be building up the character for a rebellion against hell. This is classic Barker, weird tools and gadgets. Deep non-traditional mythos, and erotic horrors abound. This is the first Hellraiser story, since the first film that I could really get into. The art is perfect and disturbing.

Is it perfect? Besides a Pinhead that is a little to talkative and a throw-away lover for Kirsty it's pretty close to a perfect Hellraiser story

Book Review: By the Time We Leave, We'll be Friends by J.David Osbourne

J.David Osbourne is an asshole. You know the type, The first time they
pick up a guitar they can play a power cord without any help. They
know how to ride a skateboard and do tricks the first time they try.
This is a first novel. An amazingly good, taunt fucked up mind binder
of Dark Bizarro that is so well crafted you wont believe it's a first
novel. I know, what an asshole. He should have to struggle through a
few good but not quite there novels before writing a masterpiece like
the rest of us. What a jerk. I am not the only author jealous of this
book, might the only one to come out and say it.

So you want to here more about the novel. Lets start by saying this
won the 2010 Wonderland award for Bizarro novel of the year. It is the
story of a Russian gulag in 1950's Siberia. The story follows a couple
different characters but focuses much of it's attention on Former
thief and prisoner, Alek Karriker. things change for Alek when he is
promoted from prisoner to being a guard.

This gulag setting is perhaps one of the most bleak locations for a
novel you copuld possibly pick. So of course that interested me the
first time I heard about this novel. Are you really goign to escape
when hundreds of miles of tundra are on the otherside of the fence?
This is a miserable place and opium is one of the few things that
helps to take Alek's mind off the conditions that he and prisoners
alike deal with. One problem he has is a hole in his neck is talking
to him. At the same time the prisoners are losing their minds to drugs
and depression.

So why not try to escape? It's insane right? There is no vegetation or
food in sight for hundreds of miles. That sets of the kick in the
pants that Karriker has in mind for making it to freedom.

Well this novel is total insanity and I will only fail to give it
justice. It's all well researched and written. It's compelling and
impressive in every way. Swallowdown publisher Jeremy Robert Johnson
has an amazing eye for dark horror themed Bizarro and so far batting
five for five on masterpieces.

As often happens with masterpieces it's only weakness is also a
strength. I admit I have no idea what happened at the end. Of course
the first time I saw Muholland Drive I was totally confused, second
time I totally got it. the fact of the matter is I will read this
novel again someday and I predict I will feel like Moron for not
getting it the first time. Either way J. David Osbourne will still be
an asshole for writing this amazing first novel