J. B. Rockwell
  • Home
  • About
  • Published Works
  • Bad Movie Reviews
  • Crowhammer Chronicles
  • Blog
  • Contact

New Interview: Dab of Darkness

5/28/2017

0 Comments

 
First off, shout out to all the book bloggers/book reviewers/book lovers out there who give up their time and website space to help us authors out. YOU GUYS ROCK!

I've been fortunate to have several let me blabber on in interviews and I try (really, I do!) to repay them by being entertaining. Of course, my success in that arena partly depends on the questions I get asked, and in this latest one from Dab of Darkness, I got asked some doozies! Seriously, these were real thinkers that had me pondering my answers for quite some time.

So, if you you want to know a little more about me and my books, head on over to Dab of Darkness and check out my interview.
Picture
0 Comments

New SERENGETI Book Signed with Severed Press!

5/26/2017

0 Comments

 
You've read Serengeti, you've read Dark and Stars, and now you're wondering: Will there be another? Do I get to spend more time with these characters? Well, I'm happy to say the answer is...
Picture
I recently signed another book in the Serengeti series with Severed Press. A prequel this time, set before the original ​Serengeti, so I guess it'll be Serengeti 0.5 not Serengeti Book 3. Release is scheduled for late June/early July--I hope to have cover art and a firm publication date to share soon. In the meantime, how about a little back cover copy to whet your appetite? Yeah? Sound good? Okay....GO!

Black Ops—the intelligence arm of the Meridian Alliance Fleet. Black Ops came calling with an offer Henricksen couldn’t refuse: a ship—an entire squadron of ships, actually—and crew to command. A chance to get back to the stars.

Too bad he didn’t ask more questions before accepting the assignment. Too bad no one told him just how hinky this particular skunkworks project was.

​They call the ship the RV-N: Reconnaissance Vessel - Non-combat, Raven for short. A stealth ship—fast, and maneuverable, and brutal as hell. On the surface, Henricksen's assignment seems simple: train his crew, run the RV-Ns through their paces, get the ships certified for mission operations and job done. But an accident in training reveals a fatal design flaw in the Raven, and when an undercover operative steals classified information from a Black Ops facility, the Fleet Brass cancels the tests completely, rushing the faulty ships and their half-trained crew into live operations. On a mission to recover the Fleet’s lost secrets.


Out of time and out of options, Henricksen has no choice but to launch his squadron. But a ghost from his past makes him question everything—the ships, their AI, the entirety of this mission, right down to the secrets he and his crew are supposed to recover.
0 Comments

Book Review: Revelation Space By Alastair Reynolds

5/14/2017

0 Comments

 
​So, this was a tough one to rate. On the one hand, it's hard sci-fi through and through: heavily science-based and intricate, with time hopping and reality hopping galore, tech beyond all tech, and a vision of future humanity that involves so much gene manipulation and cybernetic enhancement that humanity as we know it doesn't even exist anymore. Add to that, some pretty complex visions of alien lifeforms and culture--most of whom are extinct during the time period the book spans--and you have an incredibly complicated, incredibly detailed backdrop for the goings-on of the story.

If you're into hardcore sciency sci-fi, you're in for a treat.

Unfortunately, I felt lost at times in the science and wanting more plot and character development. There are several key people playing major roles in this book, but they all felt a bit flat, in my opinion. They did things and had motivations for doing said things, but I never really connected with anyone. They all just were sort of there. And doing things. Because things needed to be done to make the larger story arc happen.
Picture
​Now, about that story arc...

The plot itself is multi-faceted and twisting with revelations--YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE?!--galore. And yet, there were places where hugely important and interesting events were skipped over and just summarized after the fact--like the whole Spindrift event. I found myself wanting to 'see' these, not just be told about them in a few paragraphs. I also wanted more of Captain Brannigan--to me, the most interesting sub-plot and character of the book--and who and what he was prior to this book. How he came to be what his. If there isn't already a book on this, there should be. I'd read the hell out of it.

Other impressions:

I liked this take on AI, with limited machine AI in favor of large-scale investment in human physiology manipulation. Human brain AI, if there's such a thing, and data recordings--human reproductions of mental capacity, experience, personality. Basically, build a better human instead of a better machine, though that does tend to blur on the lines on what is truly human...

Oh, and the twelve-year-old in me kept giggling at references to 'Stoner society' and 'reefersleep'. Made me think of Cheech and Chong meets Bill and Ted or something.

So, do I recommend it? Yes. But only if you like a heavy, sciency read that's light-ish on action. This is not an easy read (at least, it wasn't for me) and therefore not for the faint of heart but it's well researched, well thought out and impeccably executed. Also well-written. I gave it three stars more because of personal taste--I would have liked more character development and action, and some leaning down of events and chapters that didn't really move the main plot forward--than because there is anything fundamentally wrong about the book or it's writing. So, if you like a heavy science read, perish the 4 and 5 star reviews--they won't lead you wrong. 
0 Comments

Bad Movie Review: Flash Gordon

5/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Recently I managed to con...err, I mean work my way into a side gig writing movie reviews for Sci-Fi And Scary, with an emphasis on bad movies. As in, movies so bad they're actually good... in a Mystery Science Theater kind of way. For my first installment, I focused on Lake Placid , but this last round, I went for a classic: Flash Gordon. Haven't seen it? You're missing out. This movie is so 1980s. So glitzy and over the top--a tour de force of daring do and cheese.

​I love it. I honestly do. And once you read this review, I hope you will to. So, head on over to Sci-Fi And Scary and check it out. Just click on the little picture below and it'll take you right to the post. Oh! And if you have suggestions for my next bad movie review, drop them in the comments. I've got a few ideas, but I'm always open to reader requests.
Picture
0 Comments
    J.B. Rockwell
    J.B. Rockwell grew up reading fairy tales, folklore and mythology, as well as anything and everything about ancient cultures and their history, and never lost her taste for any of it.  She currently lives in West Virginia with her husband and two cats, all of whom provide inspiration for her stories, whether they know it or not.
    Picture

    Archives

    December 2021
    October 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    September 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All
    Bad Movie Reviews
    Book Reviews
    Crimson King
    Diary Of A Crazed Cauliflower
    Publication News
    Serengeti
    SFF Interviews
    Unicorns

    RSS Feed

Home
About
Published Works
Crowhammer Chronicles
Blog
Contact
Website Design by Otterhaus Enterprises LLC © 2014