John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War has everything I want out of science fiction: space battles, politics, religion, cosmologies to make you think about your own preconceptions, and heart. If you aren’t familiar with this modern classic, OMW centers around John Perry, an old man nearing the end of his life. In the OMW world, once you hit a ripe old age you can enlist in the space marines. You are legally dead once you enlist, and you never come back to Earth. You say your goodbyes and head […]
The Best Version of Batman
If you are of a certain age, your favorite version of Batman is Batman: The Animated Series Batman. Kevin Conroy’s voice is your platonic idea of what The Batman sounds like. I was eight years old when that cartoon debuted on Fox, and I still get goosebumps when I watch the opening credits. The show perfectly harmonized the darkness, the fun, the quiet mystery, and the hardboiled noir that makes Batman great. There’s more to Batman than the campy 1960s show, and Batman is a better person than […]
A British Action Movie of a Book
Strike Back is an action movie of a book. Written by former SAS sergeant “Chris Ryan”, this book was the genesis of the Sky/Cinemax show of the same name. The book is similar to the Strike Back tv show but a little closer in tone to the action novels written by Alex Berenson or Lee Child. The story isn’t quite up to the level as Berenson’s John Wells books, and Strike Back’s John Porter isn’t as interesting as the stoic Jack Reacher, but the book does display the author’s real-world […]
Fun Yet Profound Messages in a Kid’s Christian Comic
I’m sure many Cannonballers can relate: When I first found out I was going to be a parent, one of the first things I did was buy several books on parenting. Books are companionship through all stages of life for people like us. The next thing I did was create a giant list of books that I wanted to share with my kids throughout their lives. I keep a running Amazon list specifically for that purpose. While I didn’t read Rescue Me! as a kid, it […]
Don’t Judge an Author by One Book (Especially Not This One)
There was a guy named Pete in my high school humanities class. Pete loved renaissance festivals and Dune. He said Frank Herbert’s Dune was a great example of what sci-fi can be at its best – a teaching tool. It’s hard (and boring) for us to read someone’s thoughts on what humanity should be like. Put the story in space, though, and we’re more susceptible to new ideas. Dune has plenty to say about power, war, economics, and religion, Pete told me. The book sounded cool […]
I LOVE SPACE
Here is how much I love space: When I die, I want my casket to be launched into the sun. Earlier this week I was sitting on the couch, tending my whiskey and watching The Expanse. Mrs. Halbs asked me why I love space so much. “Look at it! That’s where God is,” I said. Maybe that’s it. I love the majesty and wonder and awe of the cosmos. How something can be so grand and lonely and beautiful and mysterious – I like thinking about that. So, […]
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