“Guilt can be a good thing. It’s the soul’s call to action. The indication that something is wrong. The only way to rid your heart of it is to correct your mistakes and keep going until amends are made. I don’t know what you didn’t do or what you should have done, but the guilt… the guilt means your work is not yet finished.” Father Paul Lantom, “Daredevil,” Season 2×4 – “Penny and Dime” The second season of Daredevil opens not with a guilt-stricken Matt Murdock wrestling with what he’s about to do wrong but reveling in the very thing …
Between the Lines: Let the Devil Out, Part I
“I’m not seeking penance for what I’ve done, Father. I’m asking forgiveness… for what I’m about to do.”—Matt Murdock, “Daredevil,” Season 1×1 – “Into the Ring” With that line, coming at the end of a heartfelt confession, Marvel launched Daredevil in 2015. It was the first of the true superhero shows made for Netflix television by the powerhouse studio, not counting Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which has always been about the heroes behind the supers. This was a bold move in many ways, in part because the last outing for the character was a disastrous Ben Affleck version that hit screens …
Between the Lines: Side Jobs, by Jim Butcher (The Warrior short story)
I don’t have a lot of room in my house for a book stash. That’s why it’s hard for books to find a home there. I don’t keep them unless they’re A) written by friends of mine, or B) ones I know I will re-read. Jim Butcher’s done that. Harry Dresden is a great character, an everyman wizard detective, a guy who saves the day, but usually after great trial and tribulation. He’s far from perfect, but he’s a hero. One of the Dresden volumes I re-read is Side Jobs, a collection of short stories published by Roc in 2011. It’s …
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Between the Lines: Agents of Shield
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived on ABC in 2013, bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe to television for the first time since the debut of the Iron Man movie five years earlier. Many viewers—even the diehard fans—agree the first half of Season One was rough, to the point a lot of people stopped watching. Those who stuck with the show have been greatly rewarded. A little background. S.H.I.E.L.D. is an acronym for Strategic Homeland Intervention and Enforcement Logistics Division. It’s been a staple of Marvel Comics for decades, a shadowy spy organization tasked with keeping tabs on superheroes and threats to …
Between the Lines: Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge by Larry Correia
Larry Correia started a blockbuster series with the debut of Monster Hunters International. He hooks you from the first scene, and the blood-and-guts-soaked adventure does not let up. The series premise is simple: the U.S. government maintains a secret fund from which it pays bounties to private contractors in exchange for their elimination of monster threats. Throw in all manner of beasts and—to quote Neo from The Matrix—“Guns. Lots of guns,” and you’ve got action-packed stories of heroes triumphing over evil. The appeal to readers, especially men, is obvious. These monsters aren’t defeated by supernatural means or by prayer. Guns …
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Between the Lines: Leviathans of Jupiter by Ben Bova
There’s a reason Ben Bova has won six Hugo Awards. The man is a phenomenal writer of science-fiction. Not only does he take hard sci-fi concepts and make them accessible, but he populates his stories with memorable characters. Admittedly, I’m late to the party when it comes to appreciating his work. I’ve only read a handful of his books, and even those, only in the past few years. That said, the greatest measure I have for a novel is whether I will find it a home on my bookshelf and read it again, at least once. Leviathans of Jupiter fits …
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But Who Would Be Dumb Enough To Try It? (Episode 16)
And now, at long last, the conclusion to “But Who Would Be Dumb Enough to Try it?” It’s been a great ride, and we thank our readers for joining us on this quest to save Celis from the powers of darkness. * * * * * The Crystal of Darkness shattered in a rain of glittering fragments. The aura of red blinked out, a torch doused in the rain. Landgrave Cristoph cried out in pure rage. A flood of dark streaks streamed from the crystal’s fragments, whistling as they soared over head. They found every crack and crevice in the wall, …
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Lost in the Crowd — A short serial (Part 1)
Steve Rzasa here–in the run-up to the release of Crosswind on Nov. 1, I’ve embarked on a short serial that will fill in some of the background for the story. The events take place the day before the prologue of Crosswind and follow one Troy Keysor as he uncovers a dangerous truth about the plans Trestleway–southern neighbor to the city-state of Perch–has for expanding its reach. I’ll post a new part each Friday, up until and including the last couple weeks of October. Enjoy! * * * * Lost in the Crowd by Steve Rzasa Part 1 … The morning …
But Who Would Be Dumb Enough To Try It? (Episode 15)
Greetings, fair reader! MLP author Steve Rzasa here. We’re at the great finale of our collaborative work, and to tie up all these loose ends, I’m going to do this in two parts. So don’t despair—there’s one last segment coming next Saturday. Enjoy! * * * * * The fight had been going well. I was sure of it. I am Barzillai Broadhead, famed archer, after all and I am usually sure of a great many things. But I digress. We had the fell beasts pinned down in the fetid chamber of the Tower of Gloom. Abelard, the Most High …
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