Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale
- Nov, 20 2010
- By anthropod
- Books, Geeking Out, Science Fiction
- No comments
I am happy to say that I liked Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale a lot more than Serenity, Vol 1: Those Left Behind. The Shepherd’s Tale seemed to have a more solid storyline, as if it were always meant for the series but never got the chance to come to fruition. All browncoats have an idea of Shepherd’s past, having worked with The Alliance, but the surprise for me came with the realization that Shepherd Book’s childhood was riddled with abuse and abandonment. Which led him to a life of murder, crime, and complete lack of remorse, before his quest for redemption. Also surprising to me was how he came about to be in The Alliance. I always assumed he was a conservative type born on a central planet, sort of like the Doc, who joined The Alliance with the belief that he was contributing to the greater good. And after [...]
Serenity, Vol 1: Those Left Behind
- Nov, 01 2010
- By anthropod
- Books, Geeking Out, Science Fiction
- No comments
Serenity, Those Left Behind Warning: there are spoilers ahead, if you’ve not read the comic yet. I am a huge fan of Serenity/Firefly, particularly the series. Although I am not as fanatic as most, I particularly enjoy the storyline and the high level of detail that went into its inception. So, I purchased the comic Serenity, Vol 1: Those Left Behind recently, hoping to find a little treasure of unexplored Serenity/Firefly plot. Well, I’m sad to say that I am more than a little disappointed in the book. In summary, it’s like reading a fans fantasy of what the character’s should have been, rather than what they were. Every personality is over-exaggerated to the point where they are only reminiscent of the series and movie. The lingo is fairly accurate to that of the series, if overly-simplistic most of the time. But the actions and behavior of the crew are [...]
The Disappearing Spoon
- Aug, 04 2010
- By anthropod
- Books, Geeking Out, Science
- No comments
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the Elements. Whew, that’s a mouthful. The Disappearing Spoon is a new book by Sam Kean, that details interesting, little known, and funny tales and facts about how the elements have played roles in art, war, literature and more. The title refers to a trick chemists sometimes play on unsuspecting persons, wherein a spoon made of gallium is given to the victim to stir their tea with. And since gallium melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit, the spoon would melt and disappear in right before their eyes. Amazon Says: “Official bio: Sam Kean spent years collecting mercury from broken thermometers as a kid, and now he’s a writer in in Washington, DC, for Science. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, Smithsonian’s Air & Space, and New Scientist. In 2009 he was [...]