Short Stories Books

The Mad Scientists solve a bank robbery, get outfoxed by Harmon Muldoon, save Mammoth Falls from a drought, invade the town with a UFO, then finally get even with Harmon and his gang in a satisfying and exciting sequel to The Mad Scientists' Club. Using classic technology and, of course, their noodles, the MSC romps through 5 short stories which are more complex than the originals, yet retain their smart and fun flavor. Henry thinks, Jeff leads, Mortimer snarks, Homer climbs, Charlie narrates, Harmon interferes, and Freddy and Dinky get kidnapped...twice! This book is great for boys AND girls 9-12 (and also for 42-year old women like me!) I'm so happy I found this book again after 30 years...it was worth the wait and then some!

If you loved Bertrand R. Brinley's first collection of stories about The Mad Scientists of Mammoth Falls The Mad Scientists' Club or the two novels: The Big Kerplop!: The Original Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club and The Big Chunk of Ice: The Last Known Adventure of the Mad Scientists' Club, then you'll also love "The New Adventures of The Mad Scientists' Club". The boys return in five new stories, again mixing simple yet sound science and a gently wicked sense of fun.

In "Big Chief Rainmaker", a story originally planned for inclusion in the first book, the boys make clever use of simple scientific principles to break a killer drought by making it rain. Unfortunately, making it STOP raining, turns out to be a good deal harder.

In "The Telltale Transmitter" while investigating a series of unexplained seismic anomalies, the boys make an unexpected discovery.

In "The Cool Cavern" the boys acquire a WWII-era midget two-man Japanese submarine and stash it in a cavern behind Mammoth Falls' namesake Mammoth Falls while restoring it to functioning. Then one night the cavern roof collapses, hopelessly trapping Harmon Muldoon's gang, who had come to spy on the submarine, behind tons of fallen rocks. Or are they?

In "The Flying Sorcerer" Dinky Poore is so obsessed about wanting to see a UFO that he quits showing up for club meetings, until his fellow club members promise to build him a UFO. Hi-jinks ensue.

In "The Great Confrontation" Harmon Muldoon's gang kidnaps Dinky Poore and Harmon's cousin, Freddy Muldoon, and offers to trade them for the submarine and the right to use the Cool Cavern. Boy, are they going to be sorry!

As a boy, while I enjoyed this book very much, I never liked it as well or reread it as often as the first one, and after rereading it as a man I think I know why. It isn't the writing, which if anything has improved; it is the story topics. If the first book could be re-titled "The Mad Scientists' Club Triumphant", this book could be re-titled "The Mad Scientists' Club Get Their Comeuppance". In "Big Chief Rainmaker" the boys go from heroes to goats, and in "The Cool Cavern" the boys get made utter fools of. "The Telltale Transmitter" turns out to be a fairly conventional crime-solving, and even the wackiest story of all, "The Flying Sorcerer", is essentially "The Strange Sea Monster of Strawberry Lake" redux, except with a less triumphal ending, and it isn't until "The Final Confrontation" that the boys finally get even with Harmon Muldoon's gang for the events of "The Cool Cavern". The result is a little more downbeat than I prefer. In addition I regret the lost story possibilities of the restored midget submarine, which Brinley never made use of.

Note: the Purple House reprint of The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club is worth picking up even if you own an older edition because it includes an introduction written by Bertrand's son Sheridan and a chronological listing of the stories so you can read them in the order they were written (the order of the stories in the book was not changed). Reading them chronologically clears up some confusion over places, geographical references, and characters.

Not many books can capture your imagination like the Mad Scientists books. I read these back in the late 60s and still have my original copy. Its been reread dozens of times and by the way where is Mammoth Falls? The location was always elusive. References to Chicago, the Air Force Base nearby, and the description of Strawberry Lake was most unusual. I keep two copies of the republished books on my shelf. I rarely rate 5 stars but this one gets it because after 40 years its still one of my favorites.

I read this books as a boy. Now my kids enjoy it in it's republished version. The New Adventures is another wonderful collection of stories following from The Mad Scientist's club.

Lots of interesting applications of science, boy humour that is not crude or gross, and a presentation of a way of growing up that sadly absent from 99% of boys' lives in North America today.

Five stars for this one. Give your youth or teen a glimpse at what fun science and personal freedom could be like...

When I was growing up, I really enjoyed reading the 'Mad Scientists Club' and its influence may partly explain why I ended up in engineering research. Until recently I had forgotten all about it until I was looking at books by my favorite authors as a youth, such as Stephen Meader and Jim Kjelgaard. I came across the Brinley books and I decided to re-read the original and discovered much to my delight that there was a sequel of short stories and two additional full-length books by Brinley.

I read the sequel, 'The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club'and I was both ecstatic and a little dismayed. The stories are uniquely excellent melding adventurous vignettes with some science. However, I noticed that the sequel showed some changes in personalities from the first book. I was a little surprised to see that in The Flying Sorcerer' Henry was both not fully truthful with Colonel March, but even after he was told how much personal trouble he was causing him, Henry proposed that the club continue with additional flights of the flying saucer. The readers had been told in 'The Cool Cavern' that Col. March had done them a big favor in helping them acquire the plexiglass nose from an old B-17 bomber for their midget sub. I guess it did not seem in character for them to treat their friends so shabbily. I know that the Mad Scientists are supposed to represent our rebellious American youth who do not respect authority, but I thought the stunt was taken a bit too far. Moreover, I was surprised when I read that Mortimer Dalrymple stole the rotor from Col. March's Air Force car, which is not only a dirty trick, but patently illegal. I am not sure if it was the length of time between Brinley's writing of his first story in 1960 to his last in 1968, but the characters in the sequel seem to not be as 'kind and gentle' as in the first book.

Regardless, I still really enjoyed reading the sequel and I plan on reading the two re-published full-length books.

I might be the only man to leave a review here so I hope you find what I have to say helpful. The stories were fun! So, yes, you're helping a good cause and you'll get to enjoy it at the same time.

My only prior experience with reading romance novels was in college for a class and I hated the story we read. There were so many things wrong with it as a story. Not so with this collection. I thought about just reading the two stories that Kemberlee Shortland wrote since she told me about the book but then after reading hers I started at the beginning of the book and tore through the rest of the it as well. I've got one more story to read before I'm done with it but I didn't want to wait any longer to write a review.

So you need not be into romances to enjoy this book because the stories are still good as stories.

The only word of caution I have for you parents is that some of the stories are too "hot" for my nine year old niece. Read for yourself which ones those are.

I must say, what a great selection of stories! And for all the sales profits going for such a great cause! I am very impressed with the stories by a Michelle Scaplen. A new name to keep a watch for! All of these stories were unique in themselves. Superb job, Ms. Burroughs! I'm anxiously awaiting for the delivery of my Blue Moon books!

While this anthology does not answer the basic question of who the heck makes a law about the bouncability of pickles, I had a blast reading every single story in here.

The underlying theme of this anthology is a collection of ridiculous laws. Each story is unique and most genres are represented. It was interesting to see how the various lovers reacted to the bizarre laws. Some characters merely deride the laws and then ignore them. Some manipulate them to their advantage to capture their sweetheart's interest. Some actively protest them with the authorities.

My favorite stories were "Bad Cat", "Double Dare", and "A Love to Remember". But frankly, I liked almost all of them. Really there were only 2 that I might possibly have given a mediocre review on their own. And out of a collection of 24, this is still hands-down the best anthology of romantic short stories I have ever read.

Last thing I'll say is that I think it's wonderful Highland Press is donating the profits from this book to breast cancer research. As if it wasn't enough to know that you're getting a fantastic product, you can also feel good knowing that your money is going to good use. Great theme, great book, great cause! Five enthusiastic stars!

I picked up No Law Against Love becuase of a writer local to my home town of Carmel by-the-sea, California. Kemberlee Shortland's story, "Tutti-Frutti Blues", brought back memories of the small town I grew up in. Shortland's style of writing is both fun and creative; I look forward to reading more of this authors work in the future!

I bought this book based on the reviews, and I was not sorry. All of the stories were good, but I especially loved Sadie, the Shady Angel that kept me laughing. I also really enjoyed Bad Cat and No Laughing Matter. I was impressed, not only with the variety of the stories, but the quality as well. An excellent way to spend an afternoon and contribute to Breast Cancer Research at the same time.

From the moment I first picked up this book, I had the hardest time putting it down. So many times I thought I'd read a couple of pages but then I would still be reading a couple of hours later. Chandra Prasad's On Borrowed Wings is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I loved Adele, the main character who attends Yale disguised as her deceased brother. From making friends, giving reading lessons in her very little free time, and defining herself in an all male ivy league university, I found myself rooting for her all the way. I hope there will be a sequel or even a movie made from this book!!!!

The year is 1936. In the small town of Stony Creek there lives a family of four. There is the mother, a washer woman who used to be a privileged daughter of a professor until she married the father, an Italian quarry man. They had two children, a boy, Charles, and a daughter, Adele.

Charles is the apple of his mother's eye and is being groomed to go to Yale on scholarship. Adele is her father's favorite and her mom is preparing her to be the wife of a quarry man and a laundress. The problem is that Adele is smarter than her brother.

This would have been the path that they would have taken except that Charles and his father are killed in a quarry accident. Adele then disguises herself as a boy and takes Charles's place at the all-male college of Yale. Once there, Adele has to adapt to being a boy, take on a eugenics professor who is trying to prove that all immigrants are unintelligent, and try to be an average freshman in college.

She befriends three other boys and an Italian family that almost adopts her. She proves to be very brave and spunky. There is also a visit by Emelia Earhart to the college, which is a wonderful scene.

I absolutely loved this book. The main characters of Adele and her mother, Gertie, are interesting and many-layered. It left me wanting more. I want to know how Adele becomes Adele again. If she finds love with the rascally Wick. Does she ever reunite with her mother and her mother's family? How will World War two affect the lives of these characters? Believe me, you'll want to know, too!

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

Have you ever fallen in love with a book so deeply that you wanted to keep it and read it again and again? Maybe this is a normal occurrence for you, not so for me. I am a love `em and leave `em reader. Once the last page is read, I am on to my next conquest. That was until I read "On Borrowed Wings".

This book moved me beyond words. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised. The book is unpretentious. But when you read the pages, this matches to perfection with the main character, Adele Pierta.

The author places the reader in the middle of the character's quandary, which is to marry a quarryman. In the 1930s, the little town of Stony Creek had three classes of people. There were the cottagers, who were rich vacationers that visit the little Connecticut town from May to August. There were the townsmen, the town's merchants and businessmen. And last were the quarrymen. They worked twelve hour days, six days a week mining granite.

Adele's mother had once been a cottager. But when she married a quarryman, her family disowned her. This rejection drove her mother to educate Adele's brother so that he'd have chance to go to college and not end up a quarryman. Adele's father insisted both his children be educated, but there weren't many opportunities for women.

The same day Charles, Adele's brother, receives an acceptance letter to Yale, a freak mining accident takes his life along with their father. Rather than be forced into an early marriage, she changes her appearance to look like a man and goes to Yale in Charles's place.

"On Borrowed Wings", so appropriately titled, is the story of Adele's first year at Yale. She transforms from a shy, wispy girl into a force to be reckoned with. It's a true treasure of a book!

What a fabulous book! I was very enraptured with Adele Pietra's story. She was a very likable and believable character and Ms. Prasad drew you into her psyche very easily. You were always left wondering what would happen next and how Adele would handle the next situation. It was definitley a page turner! I was left wanting a sequel!

maybe it's just me, but whenever i walk into a bookstore lately, it seems like the majority of female authors are either rehashing history (i.e.The Other Boleyn Girl) or wallowing in crass 21st-century consumerism (i.e. Shoe Addicts Anonymous). how refreshing, then, to read "on borrowed wings." chandra prasad uses a vivid historical setting to tell a story that is fundamentally unique, despite the long literary tradition of gender-swapping tales; she creates characters and moments that will continue to live in your mind long after you've finished the book.

in fact, your first thought upon reading the final sentence will be to wonder whether ms. prasad plans to continue adele's story in a subsequent book, and to hope that she does.

with its insightful handling of difficult themes and its sensitive depiction of late adolescence, this book would be an excellent choice for high school english classes.

This is my first ever James Bond novel, I can't remember if I saw the movie. This is a thinking person's spy story with few gimmicks but great finesse and ingenuity. Fleming fascinated millions with his suave 007 personality and his missions against villains who were larger than life and twice as nasty.
The pace is slow, a good armchair read with a briar pipe in hand. An entire new generation will find the foreshadowing deep and miss the absence of the now classic action adventure. But Fleming's astute writing style will continue to attack new fans who enjoy a good story well told.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

James Bond is still hunting for Blofeld. After a year Bond thinks he is useless, and wants to quit. In Italy he saves a girl who was trying to kill herself. This leads to a relationship, and Bond learns that she is the daughter of a high ranking Italian gangster.

He has info on Blofeld. He is in Switzerland running a finishing school type or organisation, after having undergone plastic surgery. It is really a brainwashing organisation to get women to basically be terrorist weapon carriers.

Bond infiltrates Blofeld's organisation, gets out of there, and here Tracy helps him out.

He asks her to marry him, and she agrees.

Bond, with some of Tracy's dads' men, assaults Blofeld's organisation, but the supervillain gets away again, and has a nasty surprise waiting at Bond's wedding.

Among the titles of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels, I'd have to say that On Her Majesty's Secret Service is my least favorite, with neither the brevity of a Dr. No or Goldfinger nor the plot descriptive nature of The Man with the Golden Gun or From Russia with Love. Even if I dislike the title, however, this is one of Fleming's best Bond books.

The story opens around a year after the events of Thunderball (the intervening book, The Spy Who Loved Me, is not even mentioned). The villain in that book, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the mastermind behind SPECTRE, has been in hiding and James Bond is trying to seek him out. It is a more-or-less futile assignment and Bond is disillusioned enough to consider quitting. Before submitting his resignation letter, however, he takes a break at a casino. During this mini-vacation, he performs a chivalrous act to save a beautiful countess from embarrassment; she in turns, rewards him in her own special way.

This countess, familiarly named Tracy, is also the daughter of a genial but ruthless mob boss who Bond winds up (pardon the pun) bonding with. The boss, Marc-Ange, realizes that his daughter is troubled (in fact, suicidal), but that Bond may be able to help her by marrying her. Bond is not willing to do that, but is willing to see her again after she gets treatment. In the meanwhile, Marc-Ange gives Bond a lead on Blofeld.

Blofeld has holed himself up in the Swiss Alps, where extradition is nearly impossible. Bond goes undercover, hoping to lure Blofeld into Germany where he can be arrested. While there, he stumbles upon a strange plot that seems to involve young women seeking treatment for allergies. What Blofeld's scheme is goes beyond Bond's expertise, but the superspy will have more immediate problems as his cover is threatened.

Eventually, Tracy gets back into the mix, which adds another level to the story. Bond versus Blofeld is good, but at long last, Bond meets a woman who he can truly love. Since the first Bond book, Casino Royale, when Bond found himself betrayed by a lover, he has never been willing to truly risk emotional attachment. This time he does, and this adds an extra depth to this particular novel.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the middle part of what I think of as the Blofeld Trilogy, which started with Thunderball and concludes with You Only Live Twice, so it may not be the best Bond book to start with. For Bond fans, however, this book is a treat and one of the very best that Fleming wrote.

This is definitely one of the better Bonds since, like CASINO ROYALE and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, the more formulaic elements are so well integrated in the story.

What I loved about FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE was that the obligatory romance was the actual scheme of SMERSH to ensnare and kill 007. The characters were well-drawn and Bond doesn't come off as such an indestructible superman. His heart is broken in CASINO ROYALE, confused in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and then shattered in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. (It's also very cool that we learn that Bond annually visits the grave of Vesper Lynd as well as still checks into Casino Royale as well).

We meet Ernst Stavro Blofeld again, not because of some grandiose world-conquering plot, but because he wants the respect and nobility of a title. The College of Arms angle of the story should be the dullest part of the story but Fleming actually makes it interesting by revealing the desire of everyone--except James Bond--to be "somebody."

The biological warfare passages may seem dated but I like revisiting the 007 books while keeping them in context: they must have been fantastic reads in the 1950s and 1960s. These books really anticipated the very modern threat of what Fleming referred to as "the man with the suitcase"...which contains an atomic device. Blofeld's plot in this book to attack England through its livestock with a virus is certainly something to think about in this day of Mad Cow and Bird Flu epidemics.

Although I'm only quibbling, I wished there had been more development between Bond and Tracy, the only woman to ever become Mrs. James Bond. After reading the novel, I felt as if I saw more of her in the movie! (The movie version of OHMSS is also one of the best).

I recently started reading all of the Bond novels and overall have enjoyed them a lot. While Flemings writing style is consistently solid the plots and characters differ greatly. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (number 11 in the series) shares with Casino Royale the title of My Favorite Bond Novel.

The plot is interesting and not *too* far-fetched (for a bond book - some are very cheesy), the characters are very likable and Fleming really nails the mood of "European decadence". This book, like Casino Royale and a few others metes out a healthy serving of bond's classic vices laced with action.

If you like less-than-serious action novels, then I would highly recommend this. Perfect for a long flight or drive

A fantastic book! The celebrities bring an amazing feeling to these classic stories. I love the way it is told from different perspectives.

We discovered this book at our local library. It was not only entertaining for our three children ages 8, 6 and 2 but my husband and I enjoyed it as well. This year we purchased it as a Christmas gift to our family. We keep it in the car and local or long distance trips fly when the cd is in the player. Now that the kids know the stories well, they like following along with the book and admiring the unique illustrations of each character. It truly is a fun collection of classic stories for everyone.

Nicely done fairytale book. Good to read - also for people with another native language like me ;-)
I also use it in my English-lessons in school. My pupils like to listen and read the texts, to whom they are already familiar in their own language!!
Great++

I was hoping for something funnier. Not even Robin Williams rendition was that great. The best part of the book are the illustrations.

A charming example of multi-media entertainment for children, `Once Upon a Fairy Tale' brings together four, new takes on classic fairytales, wonderful illustrations created by contemporary artists, and warm, familiar audio provided by some of the best known television, movie, and media personalities in Western Civilization. All of the efforts were combined to benefit the Startbright Foundation, and nicely done at that.

The four fairytales included in `Once Upon a Fairy Tale' are Little Red Riding Hood, The Frog Prince, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Rumplstilskin. The new spin on these timeless children's stories, however, is the perspective. Each character tells the story from his or her own, unique perspective. For example, in Little Red Riding Hood, "Iris Brown," "a loving mother who needs her daughter out of the house" begins the story as "Red" leaves on her journey to Grandma's house. The story is then picked up by "Wolf von Big Baden," the stranger who Red encounters on her way, continued by "Woodcutter Gunderson," the big-hearted woodsman, "Alberta Louise Johnson," Red's grandmother, and finally completed by Red herself, "Hannah Milner Primrose Red Brown." The stories are a brilliant combination of the traditional moral fairytales and new and amusing viewpoints.

Illustrators who contributed include the likes of cartoonist Berkeley Breathed and Caldecott Medal winner Chris Van Allsberg, to name a few. The voices included on the audio CD read like a Hollywood and Broadway telephone book. Among the contributors are Nick Cage, Glenn Close, Minnie Driver, Calista Flockhart, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelsey Grammar, Hugh Grant, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kevin Kline, Lisa Kudrow, Mike Myers, Gyneth Paltrow, Martha Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Willis, and Robin Williams, who provides the distinctive and hilarious voice of Wolf von Big Baden. Frankly, all of the characters are both witty and hilarious.

Any aunt or uncle, grandmother or grandfather, other relative, or family friend who gives this book to a special young person will be rewarded many times over for the thought, both from the child and the parent whose child is so fortunate to have such a thoughtful and generous benefactor. `Once Upon a Fairy Tale' will be read and played, put on the shelf temporarily, and then read and played again. That will be all the thanks needed for any gift giver.

This entire series is brilliant!
My kids (5 and 2 years old) love them.
OK, once you've seen one, the other stories and drawings are pretty much the same, but to a 5 year old, the drawings really capture the feelings and emotions of a poor pigeon trying to get his way.
It's amazing how some simple lines and circles can be manipulated to reflect such a wide range of emotions on a pigeon's face!
The look of amusement on the kids's faces as they read the book and see the different pigeon feelings on each page really make purchasing the pigeon series by Mo Willems worth it.

The Pigeon wants a puppy. He really does. And with all the glee and naïveté of a child (or pigeon) he expresses his desires and expectations in this latest installment of storybook author Mo Willems' popular Pigeon series. He begs. He bargains. In red-echoed letters he demands. And of course he promises great feats of responsibility: "I promise I'll water it once a month." But would you make his dreams come true?

Many parents do. Many parents seem to see possession of a puppy as a rite of passage for their children: an ownership of life, a dry-run at all there is to come. Indeed, puppies and children go paw-in-hand for thousands of families, the embodiment of the American Dream. In fact, one-in-three American homes gives shelter to at least one dog. The problem is puppies are not possessions. And if puppy "ownership" is a dry-run at life for children, for the puppy it is very, very real. But of course the Pigeon can't see that. He's a puppy-lovin' pigeon! And the romance of his desire, swathed in rosy hues and fuchsia hearts, colors his judgment, as romantic ideals color the judgment of too many American families each year.

How many frantic phone calls I receive from parents at their wits' end because the puppy they brought home for junior has revealed himself to be shockingly alive: independent, averse to piggyback rides, and in need of more than sunshine and monthly watering. And the fact that they had wanted this four-legged possession forever - or "at least since last Tuesday" - notwithstanding, now they tell me his behavior must change immediately, yesterday!, or he has to go. As if he has anywhere to go.

It's about realistic expectations. It's about early education so that our children learn and grow and develop a consciousness in which "The teeth! The hair! That wet nose! The slobber! The claws!" of a dog are taken into consideration before he is taken into our homes. ("I mentioned the teeth, right?") And it's about a shift in perception, away from our egocentric view of humanity as little gods with dominion over the earth and its creatures, towards a donning of the mantle of humane stewardship: our responsibility and gift to the world around us in return for Life itself.

Willems' Pigeon is an iconic figure: at turns playful and pouting, he embodies the intense and unrealistic yearnings of youth, an Everychild (or Everypigeon) who flies in the face of romantic ideals. But the lessons the Pigeon has to teach are not just for children - and certainly should not be limited to children "Ages 2-6" as suggested on the back of the book. Indeed, this brilliant little tome should be required reading at shelters, rescue organizations, and even breeders' facilities and pet stores (if, heaven forbid, one should choose to purchase a puppy from one of those). Certainly all dog trainers need to be aware of this book.

I do want my clients to be happy. I do understand. The desire for a warm-bodied, four-legged friend with whom to share a home and a hearth is as natural as evolution itself. But the expectation that that living, thinking, breathing animal be as two-dimensional as a character in a storybook, the demand that the multi-dimensional animal who shows up instead be instantly adaptive to our established schedule and routine - that's not natural. And as a dog behavior consultant it is my job to educate my clients on the difference. Mo Willems' The Pigeon Wants a Puppy will be an essential part of my curriculum from now on. Now, who's going to help train or re-home the walrus?

My kindergartners love the Pigeon books. They are great for teaching concepts, reading, and just having a good laugh!

my daughters, 5 and 3, love the pigeon stories and were excited for this new one. it's right on line with the series. we highly recommend it.

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy is the latest installment of "The Pigeon" books by Mo Willems. This is the first one that we have read, and both my 3 year old daughter and I laughed out loud. The Pigeon sounds like a typical preschooler, wanting what he wants when he wants it, and he wants it NOW.

Most children will recognize themselves in it, causing them great giggles. The Pigeon breaks the fourth wall, and speaks directly to your child. Mine answers him every time. The Pigeon begs, he pleads, he yells, he bargains, he tantrums to get the puppy that he must, Must, MUST have...that is, until he gets it.

This is a truly delightful and engaging story to read out loud to your little ones. It is an excellent length for a bedtime story, and one you will both enjoy. We look forward to reading more. This has very quickly become a new favorite at our house.

"The hardest thing to be in America today is a man."

I recall seeing the movie "The Boys In The Band" in college and being so put out by the loathsome men depicted in it that I was easily confined to the closet for another five years. Back in my high-school seventies, when the bulk of the activity in this book took place, I was just a kid with a confused identity. Even in college, I read about Moscone/Milk with a mix of confusion and anger, wondering why good men could get gunned down for little more than being who they were, while all the time I was denying to myself who I really was. It took me another decade or so to come to grips with it all, and to discover what one of the basic premises of "Some Dance To Remember" sets forth. It makes me wish I'd come across this book in the seventies and not viewed "The Boys In The Band."

From "Some Dance To Remember;" "Every gay man is a homosexual, but not every homosexual is gay."

Jack Fritscher has created a world in "Some Dance To Remember" that goes from romanticized to mythologized to the aftermath of when paradise crumbled under the corrosional erosion of AIDS, drugs and too many Peter Pans. Ryan O'Hara is the hero of the story. He publishes MANUEVERS magazine in pursuit of the romanticized masculine man, engaging in rough and tumble leathersex and disdaining the hordes of men who come to San Francisco only to give up any male traits and begin acting like Junior Judy Garlands. He publishes a book titled "The Masculinist Manifesto" and sets the feminests and the SF Queenly majority into a convulsions. (Any similarity to MANUEVERS and Mr. Fritscher's residency at the legendary DRUMMER magazine are purely coincidental.) A cast a characters surrounds Ryan and form his support net; his sister who is a high profile cabaret star, his best friend and porn-king Solly Blue and his hustler's paradise, pop culture critic Magnus Bishop, and finally his ideal man, the southern-bred Kick Sorenson.

Throughout the novel, real life men and women drop by, such luminaries as Moscone and Milk, Dianne Feinstein, Tony Travorossi and Armistead Maupin all get name checked during the decade that "Some Dance To Remember" winds through. But where this book really shines is in its portrayal of the whole San Francisco gay liberation scene of the seventies. The first two acts of the book made me long for a time machine, for the chance to enter a golden age of freedom and possibility, before AIDS, before Iran-Contra, before Bush and Dobson and Falwell and Phelps. The descriptions of both the fictional and the true legendary places sinks in deeply, and even the side characters are all exquisitely detailed. "Some Dance To Remember" is almost a mirror reflection of Maupin's "Tales Of The City" (before the endless sequel books splattered into absurdity), with the characters more exclusively masculine and a lot tougher. Both books capture the very essence of the heady times of San Francisco's madcap dance through the get up and boogie years.

Alas, and much like the cautionary ending song/tale the album from which "Some Dance To Remember" takes its name, O'Hara discovers "to call someplace paradise is to kiss it good-bye." His friend Solly Blue has told him repeatedly how all hustlers are the same, just with different packaging, and as Ryan discovers the world he tried to design is undoing, the story reaches its conclusion in the fog of AIDS, steroids, and the real world that invaded The Castro as the Age Of Reagan ascended.

Probably more identifiable for me than those endless tales of coming out and the subversion of masculinity that most gay books churn away; "Some Dance To Remember" relishes its maleness and shys not from looking into the darker areas of the male psyche. Rich in depth and lovingly detailed, spellbinding in its vocabulary (Jack Fritscher is a master of catchy phrases), "Some Dance To Remember" deserves a place on the pantheon of great American gay novels.

The movies "Boogie Nights" and "Wonderland" led me to search engines that turned up this book that does not flinch in revealing the real life of gay sex aborigines in the experimental decade of the 1970s which was not the bad trip some people make it out to be. I brought in a copy to my gay studies professor who said the book was too long to be assigned at 562 pages. So I said, What about Russian lit? She said, if you have the time, read it, write your paper, and convince me it's worthy gay literature. I got an A.

Queer culture is always the leading edge. Long before today's professional athlete "doping scandal" with headlines about BALCO and Barry Bonds, gay men as far back as 1977 were using oral and injectible steroids according to this book which is, as far as I could find, the first book to deal with steroids and gay men.
In my medical web research about clinical steroids, I came across this book that frankly reveals how steroids in the 1970s were the most abused drug out of all the drugs used by gay men as party favors. In fact, the main character in this tale about the "size of masculinity" shoots so many steroids he becomes a gay Frankenstein monster whose normal soul cannot fill up his abnormally huge body. It's very interesting.
If lessons are ever learned by anybody, anyone thinking about taking steroids should take this book as a serious cautionary tale of what steroids do to a person and a personality. Real violence arises to abuse queer love.

Andrew Holleran's Dancer from the Dance and Jack Fritscher's Some Dance to Remember. Two wonderful novels that read more real than fiction.

I provide gay tours of San Francisco and I came across this novel which was written before I moved to the City. This memoir is chock full of gay history details when Castro was in bloom with Harvey Milk and the Cockettes and clones and leather in the 1970s. I think that tourists to San Francisco, especially gay tourists coming to Mecca, might better enjoy their visits to 18th and Castro and to Folsom Street with a copy of this memoir in their backpack. This is an emotional, historical guide to SOMA and 18th and Castro back in the day. Back in the day when the 1970s was the golden age. The writing is very good. The characters seem real. Even Dianne Feinstein is in the book.

Stories From Someone Older Than Television by Margie Zats with illustrations from Jerry Fearing is an eclectic collection of peculiar stories and creative oddities, Including eight fun and tasty recipes. Stories From Someone Older Than Television is a unique and humorous telling of tales drawn from Margie Zats' own life and memories. With a text that is occasionally enhanced with illustrations by cartoonist Jerry Faring, Stories From Someone Older Than Television is very highly recommended to all readers with an interest in funny biographical short-stories -- as well as those with an interest in hearty home-style cooking.

Stories From Someone Older Than Television by Margie Zats with illustrations from Jerry Fearing is an eclectic collection of peculiar stories and creative oddities, Including eight fun and tasty recipes. Stories From Someone Older Than Television is a unique and humorous telling of tales drawn from Margie Zats' own life and memories. With a text that is occasionally enhanced with illustrations by cartoonist Jerry Faring, Stories From Someone Older Than Television is very highly recommended to all readers with an interest in funny biographical short-stories -- as well as those with an interest in hearty home-style cooking.

A clever and fun read and perfect gift book. Margie's many offbeat interests and her self-deprecating style make for lively "chuckle outloud" reading.

Lookin' at the outside cover, and I'm smilin' already ~ I know it's gonna be a great book! With admiration, Kay

Stories From Someone Older Than Television by Margie Zats with illustrations from Jerry Fearing is an eclectic collection of peculiar stories and creative oddities, Including eight fun and tasty recipes. Stories From Someone Older Than Television is a unique and humorous telling of tales drawn from Margie Zats' own life and memories. With a text that is occasionally enhanced with illustrations by cartoonist Jerry Faring, Stories From Someone Older Than Television is very highly recommended to all readers with an interest in funny biographical short-stories -- as well as those with an interest in hearty home-style cooking.

In a similar setup to the Gavagan's Bar stories, but, as Clarke says, set in the UK, not the USA.

His bar actually features John Christopher, John Wyndham and 'George Whitley' in small cameos in the tall tales recounted by Harry Purvis. So a haunt of the literary types someone under a newspaper building or thereabouts, is what he says, so maybe pointing out a real pub somewhere he liked?

Anyway, all from around the 1950 mark, these. All they are intended to be is fun stories, and the author pretty much succeeds at that, in general.


Tales from the White Hart : Silence Please! - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : Big Game Hunt - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : Patent Pending - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : Armaments Race - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : Critical Mass - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : The Ultimate Melody - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : The Pacifist - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : The Next Tenants - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : Moving Spirit - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : The Man Who Ploughed the Sea - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : The Reluctant Orchid - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : Cold War - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : What Goes Up - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : Sleeping Beauty - Arthur C. Clarke
Tales from the White Hart : The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch - Arthur C. Clarke


Negative feedback showstopping blowup.

3.5 out of 5


Giant Squid control lacking.

3 out of 5


Sensation register commerce.

2.5 out of 5


Captain Zoom gun prop death ray.

3.5 out of 5


Bee ooze.

3.5 out of 5


Stuck in a hit pattern.

3 out of 5


War program insults.

3.5 out of 5


The number of mad scientists who wish to conquer the world, said Harry Purvis, looking thoughtfully at his beer, has been grossly exaggerated.

3 out of 5


Whiskey making case a bomb.

3 out of 5


Submarine getaway extraction.

3.5 out of 5


Wellsian hothouse epic coward.

4 out of 5


Iceberg towing bet interruption.

3 out of 5


Antigravity flameout.

3 out of 5


Snoring cure insomnia reversal.

3.5 out of 5


Word count loop cheat pushover.

3.5 out of 5





3.5 out of 5

Absolutely Hilarious. A must have. I shouted for Joy when I saw it was in print again.

I wouldn't throw it away! This is one of the most entertaining collections of stories in the sci-fi genre. At the White Hart, a British pub, are an odd assortment of patrons from the literary and scientific fields, as well as laymen interested in the discussions going on around them. One Harry Purvis inevitably manages to dominate the talk with his incredible tales of wondrous scientific romance, which he insists are true. He will often find a good reason for leaving just as a flaw in his story starts to become obvious to one or more of his listeners, and they wax suspicious that the tale truly is incredible. The way Clarke weaves real science with interesting and hilarious short fiction makes this one of my favorites of all his works. I would especially recommend it to readers who are new to science-fiction. Unlike a lot of such works, this one only gets better with age.

I couldn't put this down. I'm a new comer to science fiction, but if all the sci-fi writers can do what A.C. Clark does in this book, I am really looking forward to reading them. Each short story in the book relate to one another. They basically build up to a climax and then you're left wondering, "Is that it??? I want more!". Even though this book was written circa 1957, it is a "way out" read and very enjoyable!

If you can think of one set of SF short stories involving tall tales told in bars, it's probably Spider Robinson's "Callahan's' series. But if you can think of two, this is probably the second.

Although never as big a Clarke fan as I've been of Asimov and Heinlein, I still have fond memories of several of Clarke's books. _Rendezvous with Rama_ is probably his best novel and it's been one of my favorites of his since it was first published. His short stories, too, are generally of high quality (remember e.g. 'The Nine Billion Names of God'?).

The series of tales collected herein is a bit different (for Clarke). For one thing, they're _funny_ -- Arthur C. Clarke funny, that is, not Douglas Adams funny, but funny all the same.

They're on the light side and they're deftly executed. But don't expect guffaws; in order to appreciate Harry Purvis and his stories, you pretty much have to be the sort of person who thinks 'The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch' is a funny title.

If you've read Clarke but you haven't read this book, grab a copy and see what you think. The 'White Hart' isn't Callahan's, but it's a pleasant place to hang out and listen to some tall tales.

I've just completed reading Whiskey Nipple, ( I'm familiar with that old practice). It is a delicious easy read. A bit deceptive in its easyness, enticing you to read and reread passages to savor the full flavor. Emotions simmering raw barely beneath the surface of "every-dayness" are cleverly and vividly sculpted by this talented wordsmith. They stay with you long after the whiskey is gone. I'll have another, thanks..

Stunning cover art by Wolff is the ideal adjunct to Doug Frelke's short stories. His style is haunting and wrenching, his words whittled precisely to reveal humanity's frayed nerve endings, shattered synapses, and raw imperfections. Forget all preconceived notions of life, death, love, and human
interaction while reading Whiskey Nipple. Frelke's voice as story teller stuns, soothes, surprises, and shocks. His characters are skillfully crafted and unforgettable. Another excellent book of short stories from Press 53.

I found these eight stories extraordinary in their ability to stay with me long after I'd put the book down. Like other great storytellers, Frelke manages to take universal themes-most often, the need we all share to love and be loved-and thread it through stories that manage, in turn, to shock, to inspire, to make you laugh, and to make you cry. But in the end, Frelke seems to be telling us that despite the vagaries of life and love, there is hope, no matter what. I have come back to read several of these stories over and over. I think anyone who reads will do the same.

As I finished reading Doug Frelke's "Whiskey Nipple" I felt two distinct emotions. First a sadness, the kind that you feel when a great summer vacation comes to an end. And second appreciation, the kind you feel for having experienced it in the first place. This collection of short stories has left me stealing moments of introspection throughout my days since I turned the last page. Although the book itself is slight, Frelke's cast of characters certainly is not. From a young naval officer's unenviable tasks of delivering folded flags to next of kin; to a teenage girl faced with caring for her dying father's every need; one can't help but find themselves doing a little soul-searching in the process. Frelke's characters are honest and unflinching as if I were catching glimpses of their diaries. I can say with equal honesty that I will look forward to reading future works by this sharp young author. And in the meantime, read "Whiskey Nipple" again as should any of you. A great read indeed.

When I was in college, the Dave Matthews Band was just starting out, playing at private parties, fraternity houses, and small clubs around Virginia. There was an electricity in the air--the sense of being there at the beginning, getting the chance to watch the birth of something astounding and grand. Reading Frelke's first collection of stories is like that, watching as a new, extremely talented writer wrestles with grief, sex, faith, and comedy in a stunningly original style that echoes Ford, DeLillo, and O'Connor. Don't miss this rare chance to watch the birth of an important voice.