BOOK REVIEW: Star Trek: Time Trap by David Dvorkin

 

*This review contains spoilers*

After receiving a distress call, the Enterprise attempts to assist a Klingon vessel that has become stranded in a strange storm in space. Upon beaming over to the ship, Captain Kirk finds himself suddenly thrust into what seems to be the future and under the control of the race that has been his mortal enemies for most of his career. Can he trust his senses and help these New Klingons achieve peace with the Federation?

In the original Star Trek universe, I would put this at a time between the movies Star Trek: The Voyage Home and Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. Though there is no mention of the original Enterprise’s destruction, there is a reference to Kirk’s memories of being relegated to a desk job and vowing that he would never go back. Though this was published in 1988 (before the sixth film in the franchise was released), it is also somewhat problematic in that it has Kirk having a close relationship with a Klingon woman, a member of a race that the sixth film had him absolutely detesting due to the death of his son. Even though it is later revealed that he is under the influence of some pretty powerful drugs at the time, this is still somewhat unbelievable knowing the character’s obtuseness in such matters.

However, this is a well written and entertaining read. The author is obviously a fan, shown by the references that he makes to episodes of the original series, and he weaves a complex and exciting story. Any Star Trek fan will like this, even with the continuum issues.

MOVIE REVIEW: X

 

In 1979, at the beginning of the home video era, a group of amateur filmmakers rent out a farmhouse on the property of an elderly couple to shoot a pornographic movie. Unfortunately, they fail to inform their erstwhile landlords what they are doing, and when the oldsters find out there is hell to pay.

This stars Mia Goth, a British actress known for her erotic movies, as both the heroine Maxine and the female half of the homicidal couple, Pearl. The storyline in this touches on such things as beauty, aging, and self-worth. However, for everything else it is basically the porno version of the slasher films that were the rage in the last century. In fact, if not for the horror aspects of it, this movie could very well have the same rating as its name. There are multiple scenes of nudity and/or sexual activity, and there is hardly a sentence in it that does not have strong language permeating it. Definitely only for adults, it does provide a certain amount of suspense and speculation as to what is going to happen next. But the moral of the entire thing seems to be that, even if their hair is gray, their eyesight may be failing, and they may have trouble moving around, never, ever underestimate the older generation.

BOOK REVIEW: Planet Z by Kristen Middleton

 

Alex, her parents, and her brother Jimmy all embark on an interstellar mission to find a planet where what is left of the human race can live after their native planet's resources are depleted. Alex is not thrilled about the prospect of going to another world, but she tries to be a sport and accept her fate. What she does not know is that the people around her are not to be trusted, not even the ones she loves the most, and the revelations she discovers on the voyage plunge her into a reality of intrigue and danger.

This is a book told from the perspective of a teenage girl and so obviously targeted at that audience. The chapters are short and some of the details are confusing, but no more so than they would normally be for a person of that age. The premise of the story is good and keeps the interest, with a happy if surprising ending. Good for younger readers who are just getting into the sci-fi genre and looking for a heroine they can relate to.

MOVIE REVIEW: Everything Everywhere All At Once

 

Evelyn Wang is not having a good day. Her business is being audited, her husband has filed for divorce, and she is trying to keep her aged father from finding out that her daughter has just declared herself lesbian. Then, she is approached by a man who looks just like her husband but claims to come from a different reality and tells her that she is the key to fighting off a great evil that is trying to destroy all the worlds in the multiverse of time. The only way Evelyn can fight this evil and save the multiverse, including herself and her family, is to visit the different realities and bring their experiences and talents back into her own. Can she succeed?

This movie swept the 2022 Academy Awards, including a Best Actress award for Michelle Yeoh who plays Evelyn, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan who plays her husband and the lookalike from the alternate reality, and Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis who, completely unrecognizable in wig and makeup, plays the IRS auditor who is in charge of overseeing the Wangs’ tax investigation. While this film was touted as a complete masterpiece by many, I have trouble seeing what makes it so wonderful. While the cast is completely enchanting (and let’s not forget Stephanie Hsu as Evelyn’s daughter Joy or James Hong has her father) I found the storyline extremely hard to follow. There were so many alternate realities coming and going for everyone that it was difficult to ascertain which one was which. (The Academy Award the editing team won for this was well deserved.) In addition, there were many moments of what was supposedly labeled as humor that were utterly profane (Joy beating up some men using giant penises as nunchucks comes to mind). Granted, I am not really a fan of comedy and only watched this to see Yeoh in her award-winning role, but the whole thing left me rather flat. If this is what is being labeled as high art now, I think I’ll be more than happy to continue watching movies from previous years. Do not let the kids see this one. 

BOOK REVIEW: God's Provision for Your Every Need by T.D. Jakes

 

For those of you who do not know this author, T.D. Jakes is an African-American preacher who is the founder of The Potter’s House, a non-denominational megachurch in Dallas, Texas. Born and raised in Charleston, West Virgina, he became a minister at the age of 25 and started a storefront church in 1982. After a few years and a continually growing congregation, he moved to Dallas, where he now resides and pastors an organization that boasts 30,000 members. His sermons are televised on such networks as Trinity Broadcasting Network and Black Entertainment Television as The Potter’s Touch. He also has a production company that publishes his many books and has produced several movies.

Though claiming to be non-denominational, his teachings are actively conservative, and he has been targeted by LBGTQ+ activists as being hostile to transgender rights. This book, however, does not reflect that attitude. It is a book heavy on symbolism, most of which anyone who is not versed in the Christian lexicon will have trouble understanding. Basically, it talks about God putting water (help and encouragement) into our deserts (problems and circumstances). Though the sheer volume of this symbology can get monotonous, this is a relatively short book and so readable in spite of the repetitiveness of its theme. One thing that I did appreciate is the way that Jakes writes. He does not use large multisyllable words or theological arguments to get his point across. He writes as if he were simply sitting in front of the reader attempting to explain something, though, as previously stated, heavy in Christian terminology. This is a good book for a Christian who is going through tough times and looking for something to tell them it will get better. For anyone else, it may be something of a confusing read.

MOVIE REVIEW: Risen

 

This movie should not be confused with one of the same title that was released in 2016, and was a Christian based film. This one is a pure sci-fi flick from 2021 starring Nicole Schalmo as an astrobiologist named Lauren Stone who has hit rock bottom emotionally and has lost her job and reputation as a result. When a meteor hits outside a small town, turning the air toxic and killing everyone there, Stone is called upon to solve the mystery behind the phenomenon. A problem that only gets stranger when some of the dead residents rise and begin living again.

This is actually the first film that Schalmo has been known for. She was both the star and the assistant producer, and, in spite of her relatively unknown status, this has received nine awards from various film festivals and independent critics from around the world. The cinematography is excellent as well as the acting, though the script is rather slow and confusing in spots, with a lot of technical jargon about quantum physics thrown in. However, the end is so completely unexpected and astounding that it makes this totally worth watching. There is no erotica, very little violence, and an equally small amount of strong language, so this would be suitable for older children, provided they have the intellect to understand it. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks

 

Hawk, a young man imbued with magic more powerful than has ever been seen before, leads a ragtag group of orphans and their caretakers in search of a place where they will be safe from the last devastation that will annihilate what is left of the world. Joining them is a young Elf who carries the responsibility for the entirety of his race, and two Knights of the Word, people drawn from the race of men to protect the ones who will make a difference in the battle between light and darkness. Against them stands a demon so powerful that it will take all their combined abilities to defeat him and the army of monsters that he has amassed.

This is the last book in the trilogy of the Genesis of Shannara, the prelude to the world Terry Brooks first created in his sensational first novel, The Sword of Shannara. Now we learn how the world of Shannara came to be, the forces that shaped it, and the world that it was born from. This brings all the main characters from the first two books in this trilogy together for one last battle to see who will survive and who will be destroyed. A battle that will be decided, not by armies, but by the power of one boy who is not even sure what he is or is meant to be. One of Brooks’s best, this is a great read.