Category Archives: escape pod
Soundproof #11 : Escape Pod
My review of Philippa Ballantine’s “Spectyr” was reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod. Soundproof #11 : Escape Pod
Book Review: Fade to Black by Josh Pryor
I imagine that it can be difficult to sell big-idea hard-science-fiction books. How do you elevator-pitch a story about the virus that may have been the catalyst to turn humanity from people living in caves to the society we know … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, horror, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged antarctica, fade to black, josh pryor, review
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Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 4 of 10: The Prisoner of Azkaban
While the Prisoner of Azkaban soundtrack isn’t my overall favorite of the entire series, I definitely mark it as my favorite of the John Williams scores. I think it was Prisoner that really showed us how the music of Harry … Continue reading
Posted in article, escape pod, music and magic, nonfiction, writing
Tagged harry potter, john williams, prisoner of azkaban, review, soundtrack, the inner light
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Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 3 of 10: The Chamber of Secrets
While Chamber is a darker film, as noted before, the soundtrack is still a bit too juvenile to really pass on the feeling of peril. Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 3 of 10: The Chamber … Continue reading
Posted in article, escape pod, music and magic, nonfiction, writing
Tagged chamber of secrets, harry potter, john williams, review, soundtrack, william ross
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Music and Magic: the Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective, Part 2 of 10: The Sorcerer’s Stone
From the article: Overall, I think that the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone soundtrack will forever live on in our hearts because it gave us “Hedwig’s Theme”. However, in terms of soundtracks, I’d say it’s only average. A new … Continue reading
Posted in article, escape pod, music and magic, nonfiction, writing
Tagged harry potter, hedwig's theme, john williams, music, review, sorcerer's tone, soundtrack
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Music and Magic: The Harry Potter Soundtrack Retrospective — Part 1 of 10: Introduction
While listening to the Deathly Hallows Part 2 soundtrack, I thought that it might be time to take a look back at the adventure of Harry Potter’s cinematic journey by listening to the soundtracks independent of the films. I pitched … Continue reading
Posted in article, escape pod, music and magic, nonfiction, writing
Tagged deathly hallows, harry potter, john williams, music, review, soundtrack
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Book Review: “Spectyr” by Philippa Ballantine
As I said in my review of Geist, Philippa Ballantine’s writing is well-paced, not overly laden with exposition (a major flaw in several fantasy novels I’ve read), and tends to leave tropes for readers to trip over. Book Review: “Spectyr” … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, fantasy, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged fantasy, geist, philippa ballantine, review, spectyr, trope
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Soundproof #10 : Escape Pod
My review of Lavie Tidhar’s “Osama” was reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod. Soundproof #10 : Escape Pod
Book Review: “Osama” by Lavie Tidhar
It’s been about ten years since Al Qaeda operatives flew jets into three U.S. buildings (and were thwarted before they could hit a fourth). In that time we’ve all suffered the effects, which is to say: a couple of wars, … Continue reading
Posted in alternate history, book, escape pod, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged lavie tidhar, osama, review
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Book Review: “Pirates” by Nobilis Reed
Nobilis Reed is a good writer — he really gets into his characters’ heads, which is all the more difficult when the story is told via first-person-limited perspective. I just felt that the first 50-60 percent of the book didn’t … Continue reading
Posted in book, erotica, escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged adult, deep space nine, erotica, nobilis reed, pirates, review, sci-fi, scouts
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Soundproof #9
My review of China Mieville’s “Embassytown” has been reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod. Soundproof #9
Book Review: “Geist” by Philippa Ballantine
Geist combines the best of what I like in 1990s fantasy fiction with the scope of a doorstop novel… and then pares out all the extraneous crap that makes a fantasy novel into a doorstop. What’s left is 300 pages … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, fantasy, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged fantasy, geist, philippa ballantine, review
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Book Review: “Hit List” by Laurell K. Hamilton
I don’t think Hit List is a really good book, especially when held up to others in the Anita Blake series. While the writing is definitely better and tighter than the past couple of Anita Blake novels, this one doesn’t … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, fantasy, nonfiction, review, supernatural, urban, writing
Tagged anita blake, hit list, laurell k. hamilton, reviews, vampire hunter
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Book Review: “Embassytown” by China Mieville
Unlike Kraken, Embassytown doesn’t force the reader to perform mental gymnastics to keep up with Mieville’s use of language. However, the book did take me quite a while to get through. There’s a lot to absorb, and a lot of … Continue reading
Posted in escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged china mieville, embassytown, review, sci-fi, science fiction
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Book Review: “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms” by N.K. Jemisin
To go back to my comment on storytelling style — the best way to explain it is that I felt like I was reading Anita Blake: God Hunter. The same problems I have with Laurell K. Hamilton’s storytelling, I had … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, fantasy, nonfiction, review, writing
Tagged fantasy, N.K. Jemisin, review, the hundred thousand kingdoms
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Book Review: “Scouts” by Nobilis Reed
Warp drive. Hyperspeed. Folding space. Immersion. The Infinite Improbability Drive. Read five different pieces of science fiction and you’re guaranteed to find five different propulsion methods with five different names. But one thing I can guarantee is that you’ve never … Continue reading
Posted in book, erotica, escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged erotica, nobilis reed, review, sci-fi, scouts, sex
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Soundproof #8
We hope you enjoy this issue, chock full of awesome stories, reviews, and Nebula reporting. We hope you have a wonderful summer (or winter, if you’re on the other side of the world) and keep listening! We will have other … Continue reading
Book Review: “Blind Man’s Bluff” by Peter David
For fourteen years, David has been sharing with us the adventures of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the U.S.S. Excalibur — his unorthodox style, his unorthodox crew, his unorthodox worldview. In fact, if New Frontier had a single word to describe … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing
Tagged mackenzie calhoun, new frontier, peter david, review, star trek
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Book Review: “Ship Breaker” by Paolo Bacigalupi
Ever since the success of Bacigalupi’s Windup Girl, I’ve been meaning to read both it and Ship Breaker. It turns out I finished the latter almost a year to the day since it was released. I’m not sure how it … Continue reading
Posted in book, escape pod, nonfiction, review, sci-fi, writing, ya
Tagged dystopian, paolo bacigalupi, review, ship breaker, ya, young adult
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The Soundproof Escape Pod #7
My article “Speculative Fiction and Engagement Marketing” was reprinted in this month’s Soundproof Escape Pod. Reprint: The Soundproof Escape Pod #7 : Escape Pod
Josh Roseman: Writer, Voice Guy, Dad, Human 