Robin Marx's Writing Repository

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 2, 2012.

Context: Further Selected Essays on Productivity, Creativity, Parenting, and Politics in the 21st Century

By Cory Doctorow – Tachyon Publications – October 1, 2011

Review by Robin Marx

This is a much more balanced collection of essays than the previous volume, Content. There's still a great deal of material dealing with Doctorow's two favorite topics—the evils of Digital Rights Management software and how “Big Content” is attempting to undermine Internet culture through the abuse of copyright law—but he also mixes it up with a variety of other subjects. There are essays about his approach to writing and what tools he uses, new media versus old media, tips on raising a techno-savvy child, and a critique of the freemium business model.

Context is a more mature volume than its predecessor. When compared to Content, Doctorow seems to have developed as a writer, and his views are more well-rounded and eloquently expressed. Much like the first collection of essays, this book is pretty superfluous for a regular BoingBoing reader, but it should be a worthwhile read for the uninitiated. I recommend that the first book, Content, be skipped entirely in favor of this sequel, as Context touches upon similar topics in a less monotonous manner.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Nonfiction #Context #CoryDoctorow

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on October 3, 2011.

Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future

By Cory Doctorow – Tachyon Publications – September 15, 2008

Review by Robin Marx

To readers of the BoingBoing blog, Cory Doctorow needs no introduction. The contents of this book will likewise be familiar, as it covers Doctorow's favorite topics, the so-called copyfight struggle of regular folks versus overreaching intellectual property owners, the wrongheadedness of digital rights management technology, and the growing encroachment of government surveillance into everyday life. These are all important topics, and Doctorow handles them deftly. However, like Dawkins' and Hitchens' books about atheism, the people who most need to learn about these topics are also the least likely to pick this book up.

The book also suffers somewhat from a lack of variety, especially during the first half. Taken individually, they're well argued, but because most of the essays are variations of the same few themes, the compilation as a whole suffers.

In the end, it's difficult to determine who to recommend this book to. BoingBoing readers don't really need it; they can just keep reading the blog for up to date arguments on the same topics. It may be more worthwhile for people who don't know much about DRM and the conflict between intellectual property owners and Internet society, but again, I'd probably just direct them to Doctorow's work at BoingBoing instead.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Nonfiction #Content #CoryDoctorow

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on May 5, 2014.

Blackbirds

By Chuck Wendig – S&S/Saga Press – May 5, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

Apart from all the vampire stories I've read through the years, urban fantasy isn't really my thing, but I picked this book up because of Chuck Wendig's interesting writing blog and the fact that he's worked on some roleplaying games I've enjoyed. Blackbirds was a quick, mostly fun read, but ultimately I felt it lacked substance, suffering from characterization and plotting issues as well.

Blackbirds introduces Miriam Black, a woman in her mid-twenties who possesses the ability to touch another person and see the moment of their death. For obvious reasons, this power causes her considerable distress, inspiring her to avoid becoming too close to others, leading a reckless life as a drifter. Things are further complicated when she has a premonition of a vicious murder in which the victim's final word is her name.

Miriam is an interesting character, but I also found her slightly off-putting. Wendig goes to great lengths to shake up stereotypes of what female characters can be like (as if challenging some imagined sexist reader) by making her a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, foul-mouthed brawler that sleeps around. That's fine, I can get behind that, but I think that combination of traits would be equally obnoxious in a male character, especially exaggerated to the extent they are here. Flawed anti-heroes and anti-heroines are great, but unrepentant losers are less appealing.

Miriam's dialogue frequently grated as well. I enjoy Quentin Tarantino's work, but all too often it felt like Wendig was likewise trying too hard with the profanity, like a gleeful junior high school nerd trying to look cool in front of older kids. A line like “Fuck off and die, fuckpie!” doesn't really strike me as a cutting display of defiance, it's more like something from one of South Park's lamer episodes.

There were some other more minor issues as well. While the female thug is fun (with two great chapters written from her perspective), the antagonists are basically cartoon characters, way too psychopathic to be the organized crime figures they're described as. And despite all the buildup, the end was a little unconvincing as well (“You can't change fate...wait!”).

I suspect that devoted urban fantasy fans would enjoy this book more than I did. It wasn't bad, per se, just not my preferred thing. I also don't have heart palpitations when I encounter women (gasp!) that drink and swear, so perhaps that particular selling point was lost on me.

I'm not compelled to rush out and purchase the next book in the series, but I might give the STARZ TV series a shot if that becomes a reality.

★★☆☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #UrbanFantasy #Blackbirds #ChuckWendig

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 27, 2015.

Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division

By Peter Hook – It Books – January 29, 2013

Review by Robin Marx

This is a phenomenal look at one of the most influential and mythologized bands in modern music, written by one of its founding members.

The book is written in an immensely engaging style. Rather than go for an aloof, literary voice, Hook writes as if he's telling tall tales down at the pub. Joy Division fans will find a lot to love here; the book is packed with colorful anecdotes, including many that do a lot to humanize post-punk's pseudo-martyr figure Ian Curtis. There's so much detail about individual gigs, and the sections where he provides track-by-track commentary on Joy Division's albums were especially appreciated.

While immensely entertaining, I also got the feeling that Hooky was a bit of an unreliable narrator. Some passages—about drunken fights and pre-suicide warning signs from Ian that the band had turned a blind eye to—seemed very honest and self-reflective, but it felt like (due to the current and much-publicized acrimony between them) he minimized Bernard Sumner's contribution to the band. That was the only sour note in the book for me, everything else was pitch-perfect.

Wholeheartedly recommended to even casual Joy Division fans.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Nonfiction #UnknownPleasuresInsideJoyDivision #PeterHook

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on June 6, 2012.

Secret Operative K-13

By Joel Townsley Rogers – Black Dog Books – April 17, 2012

Review by Robin Marx

Set during World War I, this pulp tale (serialized in Everybody's Magazine from late 1928 to early 1929) focuses on a British spy far behind German enemy lines and the Sopwith Camel pilot (Richard “Big Dick” Fahrnestock) sent on a suicide mission to rendezvous with the enigmatic operative.

From the earliest pages, this book has a considerable amount of cheese, with General von Schmee speaking like Colonel Klink. Monocles abound. Keeping things fair, the British and American characters are also heavily stereotyped. The British squadron commander is straight out of Blackadder Goes Forth (“Eh, what?”) and Big Dick Farhnestock is the epitome of the big, dumb-as-a-brick, tough-as-nails American hero. The espionage plot is functional but not spectacular, with enough twists (and a couple obvious ones) to provide a few surprises over the course of the book.

One of the exciting things about pulp fiction is that it often surprises you; many pulp stories are much better than you'd expect them to be. They were churned out at a brisk pace by writers who were generally more interested in paying that month's bills than creating anything of any lasting artistic value. Even so, a fraction of these stories stand the test of time, presenting a surprisingly original character or presenting a beautifully rendered action sequence. Unfortunately, this is not quite up to that level. The first 75% of it is enjoyable dumb fun, but the climax is so gripping that the story as a whole actually suffers. The last quarter of the book reveals Joel Townsley Rogers as a fairly talented writer, which makes me wonder why there was so much cheesiness in the earlier chapters. Laziness? Tight deadlines?

Released for the first time in book form by Black Dog Books, I'd only recommend this to existing pulp fans. It's a fun story, but too uneven.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #PulpFiction #SecretOperativeK13 #JoelTownsleyRogers

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on October 10, 2020.

The Deep

By Nick Cutter – Gallery Books – January 13, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

The blurb plugs this book as “The Abyss meets The Shining,” which isn’t a lie, but there’s a lot of John Carpenter’s The Thing in here and a big Clive Barker streak as well.

This book has a simple but immediately appealing premise. The world is being swept by an Alzheimer’s-like disease, and a potential cure has been located at the bottom of the ocean. Top scientists begin researching a mysterious cure-all substance dubbed “ambrosia” at a hastily-assembled research station at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Initial results are promising, but after a cryptic message from below, communications between the station and its tender ship are disrupted. Hoping to reopen the lines of communication with Clayton, one of the genius scientists below, his younger brother Luke is flown in and ferried down to the station by Alice, an experienced Naval officer. Horror inevitably ensues.

While I found the premise extremely engaging, the first half of the book was more than a little frustrating. There are regular flashbacks and dream sequences that take the reader back to Luke’s past, including his abusive childhood and the traumatic disappearance of Luke’s young son. The length and frequency of these flashbacks irked me, as the undersea setting was so creepy and atmospheric. It seemed like every time something interesting happened down below, the reader gets dragged up to the surface and into the past. Happily, everything pays off at the very end.

This book is pretty gory and nasty (a perk for me, but not for all readers), but it makes excellent use of a fascinating setting. Highly recommended to horror fans, especially those fascinated by the deep sea.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Horror #TheDeep #NickCutter

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on October 6, 2022.

My Best Friend's Exorcism

By Grady Hendrix – Quirk Books – May 17, 2016

Review by Robin Marx

Set in the 80s during the height of the Satanic Panic, this briskly-paced horror story focuses on the intense friendship between two high school girls: Abby and Gretchen. Abby comes from a poor family and is self-conscious about her poor complexion. Gretchen is more confident and affluent, but feels incredibly stifled by her religious, Republican parents.

Early chapters take their time, showing how the pair met and walking the reader through some key moments in their friendship. Things rapidly escalate after they, along with other friends Margaret and Glee, have a sleepover at Margaret's cottage. After some skinny-dipping, the teens have a disappointing experiment with LSD, after which Gretchen disappears overnight. Abby finds her the next morning naked and alone in the woods, clearly agitated but with little memory of the previous night's events.

After the sleepover, Abby notices marked changes in her friend. She complains of phantom groping, refuses to bathe or change her clothes, and grows distant and uncommunicative. Despite being rebuffed by her friend and ignored or treated with hostile skepticism by adult authority figures, Abby embarks on a desperate and dangerous mission to save her best friend.

Much like the author's previous novel Horrorstör, there are touches of humor throughout the book, including graphic inserts of newspaper clippings and advertisements. Like the humor, the 80s setting is used to good effect. Sensational journalism had put Satanic conspiracies and demon worship at the forefront of Americans' minds, making that decade a natural home for this novel. Hendrix indulges in some references to the pop culture of the era, including naming all the chapters after pop songs, but wisely doesn't go too overboard with the nostalgia-baiting.

Despite some of the lighter touches, this becomes a nicely creepy story when Gretchen's possession is in full swing. The book never really erupts into a bloodbath, much of the demonic influence is more subtle and manipulative, but Abby's isolation and her fear for her best friend are communicated very effectively.

There's a great risk of “love conquers all” plots becoming cheesy or corny, but this is a good story about the power of friendship. It acknowledges the ups and downs and occasional limits of friendships, but also the strength and staying power of some rare relationships. While the titular exorcism was well done and much more unique than seen in these kind of stories, it was the denouement that I found most satisfying.

Highly recommended for horror fans (especially if you can remember the 80s) and maybe even those who read spooky YA books. And go hug a friend.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Horror #MyBestFriendsExorcism #GradyHendrix

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 27, 2020.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection Volume 2

By Various – Dark Horse Books – November 3, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

Like the first volume, this collection delivers a fun look at the mini comics included with the Masters of the Universe toy line. In addition to the later He-Man mini comics not included in the first volume, this book contains the She-Ra: Princess of Power mini comics, the few that were produced for the more space opera-oriented New Adventures line, and some fun fan service-filled comics that were created for the recent Masters of the Universe Classics toy line for adult collectors.

While the volume itself is assembled with every bit as much care and attention to detail as the first, it suffers a bit in that the stories included aren’t quite as entertaining as those contained in Volume One. While the entire line was conceived as a marketing instrument to promote toy sales, the earlier comics had more of a “wild and wooly” feel. As the comic line progressed, the formula became a bit more repetitive and the commercial aspect slightly more obvious. This book is still a fun read and a worthwhile companion to the first, but I missed the weirdness and mystery of the first comics, where the setting of Eternia was less developed.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #ComicReview #SwordAndSorcery #DarkHorse #HeMan #MastersOfTheUniverse #MOTU

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 3, 2020.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection Volume 1

By Various – Dark Horse Books – November 3, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

The Masters of the Universe toy line was an imaginative mix of fantasy and science fiction, with wildly unique character designs. While the premise has a clear delineation between good and evil (“these guys fight those guys”), it was thought that kids could benefit from a bit more backstory. Knowing more about the characters and the setting they lived in would provide inspiration for children to come up with their own stories, and thus the bonus pack-in mini comics were born.

While the comics were quickly produced and tended to have simplistic, linear plots much like the subsequent Filmation cartoon, they have their own charm. Many of the people that worked on the mini comics were either established pros doing some quick work on the side for extra money, or newcomers who later went on to greater success and fame. It was also interesting to see how the Masters of the Universe setting developed over time. Backstories change, characters are given different roles, etc.

First of a two-volume series, this book was clearly assembled with care. The artwork is presented in a larger format than originally used, allowing the readers to see both fine details and artistic goofs. Footnotes are sprinkled throughout the book, drawing attention to trivia, errors, first appearances, and other interesting aspects of the comics. There are also a number of interviews with members of the shifting teams behind their creation.

All in all, this is a fun look at a part of many kids’ childhoods. The comics were marketing instruments thrown together in haste, but the characters and stories are enjoyable and nostalgia-filled. It’s also an interesting look at the early work of a number of comic creators who would go on to bigger and better things.

★★★★☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #ComicReview #SwordAndSorcery #DarkHorse #HeMan #MastersOfTheUniverse #MOTU

This review originally appeared on Goodreads on September 5, 2019.

The Ballad of Black Tom

By Victor LaValle – Tordotcom – February 16, 2016

Review by Robin Marx

This novella is a companion piece to H. P. Lovecraft's “The Horror at Red Hook.” While the original story focused on a New York detective named Malone and his investigation of the rich, aging occultist Robert Suydam, this book introduces a new character named Charles Thomas Tester to the mix. “The Horror at Red Hook” is one of the more racist Lovecraft stories—full of “swarthy” types of various ethnicities up to no good—and Victor LaValle counters this by centering the African American perspective. The result is sort of an inversion of the original tale, elevating racism as one of the multiple horrors in the story and turning the original protagonist into one of the villains.

The writing was generally fine, but the story was a bit sleight. “The Horror at Red Hook” isn't particularly interesting as Lovecraftian source material, so it's a little baffling why it was chosen as a story. The above-average racism is basically the only element recommending it for use in a progressive reaction to Lovecraft. And while Cthulhu doesn't play a role in “The Horror at Red Hook,” he's been shoe-horned in here. His inclusion seems more like fan-service, or something especially blatant to clue in those unfamiliar with Lovecraft's work of the connection. It just seemed a little extraneous to me.

“The Ballad of Black Tom” interweaves interestingly with “The Horror at Red Hook,” providing a more intimate view of events elided in the original story, but it's also lacks subtlety in places. The racist abuse faced by Charles Tester is horrific, but it also felt that the story lacked the page count to handle his descent into villainy in a realistic manner. I see it singled out for praise in other reviews, but the “Every time I was around them, they acted like I was a monster. So I said goddamnit, I’ll be the worst monster you ever saw!” line is so cheesy and on-the-nose.

Overall I liked this story and thought the confrontation of racism in Lovecraft's work was interesting, but I can't help feel there was a missed opportunity. By all means, confront retrograde elements in Lovecraft's work, but “The Horror at Red Hook” is one of the lesser works in the canon. Deconstructions tend to work best when they target a great piece of art, not one that even die-hard Lovecraft fans are lukewarm on.

★★★☆☆

#CapsuleReviewArchive #BookReview #Horror #TheBalladOfBlackTom #VictorLaValle #HPLovecraft #CthulhuMythos