Category: Books

Post Apocalypto

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Film, Review

Post-apocalypse movies have been a popular genre for decades, largely thanks to that ‘Mad Max’ movie that came out in 1979, a movie that defined the genre. These films depict what the world would be like after a catastrophic event, and how humanity survives or perishes in the aftermath. They often employ a distinct visual style, the gritty wastelands standard established by the ‘Mad Max’ trilogy, characterized by a distinctive visual style that immerses viewers in a world of desolation and survival. Barren and desolate landscapes, such as parched deserts or urban ruins, dominate the scenery, often rendered in muted, dusty tones.

Continue reading “Post Apocalypto” →

The Asimovian Cosmos

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Auther, Books

It could sound like a clique stating my first ever science fiction read was Isaac Asimov back in the late ’70s, but this may have been unavoidable. This guy was an iconic American writer and professor who dominated the genre for half a century. He even boasted he was the “Best Science Writer” backed up by none other than Arthur C. Clarke. They had agreed with each other, negotiated as they shared a cab in New York, the so-called “Clarke–Asimov Treaty of Park Avenue”.

The treaty stipulated that Asimov would always proclaim Clarke as the greatest science fiction writer in the world, with himself as runner-up, and Clarke would similarly proclaim Asimov as the best science writer, with himself as runner-up.

Continue reading “The Asimovian Cosmos” →

The Crusades (Chapter 3)

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, History

THE FIRST CRUSADE

Epochs of Modern History: The Crusades

G.W. Cox

1097-1097 A.D.

A.D. 1096, Departure of the first rabble of Crusaders under Peter the Hermit and Walter the Penniless.

LITTLE more than half the time allowed for the gathering of the crusaders had passed away, when a crowd of some sixty thousand men and women neither caring nor thinking about the means by which their ends could be attained, insisted that the hermit Peter should lead them at once to the holy city. Mere charity may justify the belief that some even amongst these may have been folk of decent lives moved by the earnest conviction that their going to Jerusalem would do some good; that the vast majority looked upon their vow as a license for the commission of any sin, there can be no moral doubt; that they exhibited not a single quality needed for the successful prosecution of their enterprise, is absolutely certain. With a foolhardiness equal to his ignorance, Peter undertook the task, in which he was aided by Walter the Penniless, a man with some pretensions to the soldier-like character. But the utter disorder of this motley host made it impossible for them to journey long together. 

Continue reading “The Crusades (Chapter 3)” →

The Conglomeroid Cocktail Party

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Review

There are many benefits to writing short stories. Writers do it to practice and develop their storytelling style, allowing them to explore singular ideas, concepts and themes. The narratives are easy to control, the outcomes have less room for error, and you can get your story out quickly.

Readers benefit for the same reasons. They’re quick reads with a specific sci-fi message. They are the Tiktok of literature and the best way to experience them is via a short story collection or anthology. These allow the reader to explore an author and get to know their style before they invest time in reading one of their novels.

Continue reading “The Conglomeroid Cocktail Party” →

The Crusades (Chapter 2)

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, History

THE COUNCIL OF CLERMONT.

Epochs of Modern History: The CrusadesG.W. Cox

Influence of Roman Imperialism on the Early Popes 

THE pope is the bishop of Rome, and the traditions of the papacy delight in recalling the humble origin of his vast monarchy, at once spiritual and temporal, ecclesiastical and secular. If the poor Galiæan fisherman ever entered the Eternal City, it was as a stranger who had come to be the guide and friend of a small knot of men who saw and hated and wished to keep themselves aloof from the abominable corruption of Roman society.

But if Christianity itself, as we have seen, was, when it had once taken root in the West, modified by the popular feelings and old associations of the converts, the constitution of the church was in like manner insensibly modified by the political forms of the state with which it had at first to wage a terrible conflict.

Continue reading “The Crusades (Chapter 2)” →

Panology of Science Fiction: G

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Panology, Science

Geography

Nothing builds intricate worlds like the attention to detail given to the story’s geography. What makes a setting compelling is the effort that goes into creating elaborate planets that are logical and familiar in terms of geology, history, climate and all that encompasses the geographical nature of the fictional world.

The more variety and complexity a world has, the further it enhances the other elements in the story. Physical environments can affect the plot and character, and determine what social organizations, culture and belief systems populate the place.

Continue reading “Panology of Science Fiction: G” →

The Omega Legend

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, Film, Review

Among all the tropes, the “Last of a Kind” concept stands out as a rare narrative device that seamlessly blends theme, plot, and character, achieving an almost mythical status with a single masterful stroke. Richard Matheson’s classic vampire novel reigns supreme as its definitive exemplar. ‘I Am Legend (1954)’ is an ingenious hybrid of two previous classics, Mary Shelley’s ‘The Last Man (1826)’ and Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula (1897)’. Vampirism and plague, a combination that captures the definitive pretext for a last man alive narrative, grounding the myth of the supernatural with the reality of pathogens.

Matheson also deploys another trope in the finale of the story, one that is more devastating in its social commentary. The vampires, the pandemic, and the last man on Earth are just the setup for the novella’s central message, and it’s the one element shunned by all the film adaptations to date.

Continue reading “The Omega Legend” →

The Crusades (Chapter 1)

Posted on by Bill Kandiliotis in Books, History

CAUSES LEADING TO THE CRUSADES.

Epochs of Modern History: The Crusades – G.W. Cox

THE Crusades were a series of popular wars, waged by men who wore on their garments the badge of the Cross as a pledge binding them to rescue the Holy Land, and the Sepulchre of Christ from the grasp of the unbeliever. 

A.D 1095, November

The dream of such an enterprise had long floated before the minds of keen-sighted popes and passionate enthusiasts: it was realised for the first time when, after listening to the burning eloquence of Urban II. at the council of Clermont, the assembled multitude with one voice welcomed the sacred war as the will of God. 

Continue reading “The Crusades (Chapter 1)” →