Warner Books

In all practical aspects, the Dominguez and Escalante expedition was a failure. The two Spanish fathers were unable to locate an overland route between the Spanish colonies of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Monterrey, California, and in 1776 it seemed that all the two men had done was wander aimlessly in the north for six months. The lasting impact these two men have had on history (and particularly Utah's history), however, are far greater than they could have known.

The expedition made a map, but it is basically worthless in its inaccuracy. Still, the description they left of their route, and most notably that of Utah Valley, was later a great resource for subsequent explorers of Utah, especially John C. Fremont. Their expedition, failed though it was, nevertheless is important as the first written record of the territory that would later become Utah. In addition, the journal did not outlive its usefulness in 1844, when the second of Fremont's expeditions was completed, or even later when Stansbury, Gunnison, and others surveyed the territory. This journal is important even today, because it provides us with a natural look at the Native Americans of the area, before they were disturbed and corrupted by hordes of encroaching whites. This journal is a great document in Utah's history, both as the first written account and as a fascinating look at Utah more than 75 years before it would be settled by the whites.

Even if this book sucked, I couldn't rate it lower than five stars, if for no other reason than that this book is IT.
It's the only record of this particular part part of the Southwest from before the area was overrun by Spanish and Anglo settlers. It's the book that guided decades of explorers and missionaries, and that has mercifully survived to offer us hints of what life in the West could be like BACK THEN.
It's the story of Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, two Spanish friars, who were tasked in 1776 with the goal of forging a route from a mission in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to a mission in Monterrey, California, and of locating sites for new missions along the way-to convert Indian "heathens," "barbarians," and "infidels."
Domínguez was in his mid-thirties, but Escalante was only about twenty-five years old. The two, with a small group of others, decided to avoid a northern route--out of fear of an Indian tribe rumored to eat light-skinned travelers--and as a result were among the very first to make maps and to record details of the Southwest's rivers and mesas. Their group started late in the year though, a sudden blizzard soon made progress impossible, and when they reached north-central Utah, they decided to head south and work their way back to New Mexico. They ran out of food, lived by eating their horses, and suffered unbearable cold, rebellious group members, and severe, frequent thirst. They reached the Colorado River around present-day Lees Ferry, southwest of where Glen Canyon Dam is now, and worked their way north along the river, looking for a way across.
They passed the often-photographed Castle Rock and Gunsight Butte, chipped steps into the slickrock to allow their pack animals to get down to the shore, lowered their belongings over a cliff with ropes, and after some scouting, found an ancient Ute Indian river crossing, where the water was slow and shallow enough to ride across. That place became known as the Crossing of the Fathers, and is right around where Lake Powell's Padre Bay is now.
Their trip made an approximately two thousand-mile-long circle through mostly unexplored terrain, took nearly six-and-a-half months, and explored more undocumented, unknown land than Lewis and Clark would later in their over two-year-long journey. When the fathers got back to Santa Fe, however, only their failure to reach California mattered much to anyone, along with their apparent waste of funds, horses, and supplies.
Escalante was practically exiled, and died within five years as the result of bad health obtained from his trials in the desert.
Domínguez was demoted, his possibilities of advancement destroyed, and he died anonymously as an old man, never recognized for what he'd done.
If you are interested in the West, or the Colorado Plateau, or Glen Canyon, you need to read this. There's just no way around that. It contains information you will find nowhere else, and it's actually a fairly enjoyable read. (I never would have thought Spanish priests could be so SARCASTIC....)

By the mid-1950s, science fiction's foremost husband-and-wife writing team, Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore, could be regarded more as coeds than working authors. After the release of their "fix-up" novel "Mutant" in late 1953, the pair released only five more short pieces of sci-fi over the next five years. And while it is true that Kuttner did come out with a series of novels featuring psychoanalyst/detective Dr. Michael Gray, for the most part, the two concentrated on getting their degrees at the University of Southern California. Kuttner, taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, graduated in 1954, while Catherine Lucille, paying her own way, took things slower and finished up by 1956. And the following year, she capped off a glorious writing career with a solo novel, her last, "Doomsday Morning." A companion piece in title only to Moore's 1943 novel "Judgment Night," this is a very fine tale indeed. It is a bit unusual for the author in that its setting is not Venus, or deep space, or the distant future, or some unusually named fantasy world, but rather America--New York City and rural California, to be precise--of only 50 years in the future; in other words, around 2007, or right now! The America of Moore's early 21st century has become a quasi-totalitarian regime run by a far-reaching entity known as Comus (short for Communications of the United States). This government department in essence controls not only all the communications in the country, but also the schools, transportation network, the hospitals, the entertainment industry, the military divisions, et al. Howard Rohan, a washed-up alcoholic wreck who had once been one of Broadway's greatest stars, is pressured by Comus into putting on a traveling, open-air play called "Crossroads," along with a troupe of five other actors, to entertain in California. That state, it seems, had been rebelling openly against Comus, and activists there had been purportedly hard at work perfecting some kind of "Anti-Com" device that might miraculously bring about Comus' downfall. The story of how Rohan becomes a whole man again, after three years of grieving for his late wife, and how he becomes involved in nothing less than a second Revolutionary War of sorts, is the story of "Doomsday Morning." Moore peoples her novel with interesting characters (all the actors in Rohan's troupe are at some kind of personal crossroads in their own lives), and although the sci-fi elements are kept to a minimum (indeed, without Comus' tear-shaped Prowler cars, the spindly "hedgehoppers," a weapon called a "scatter gun" and, of course, the Anti-Com itself, the book would hardly be science fiction at all, but rather a dystopian action tale), there are numerous thrilling sequences. Thus, Rohan's participation in a Comus raid, his stealing of a hedgehopper, the nighttime fight against some seedy renegades, and a remarkably suspenseful denouement, with the fate of the country--and the very existence of California itself--hanging in the balance. The author even manages to work some nice surprises into her story, as we discover the real reason for the existence of "Crossroads," what the Anti-Com actually is, and the reasons for Howard's unusual dreams and psychological promptings. Rohan himself is a very interesting character, it must be said, whose motivations and loyalties seem to be in a constant state of evolution as he sobers up and sorts things out.
It need hardly be mentioned at this late date what a gloriously fine writer Moore was; from her very first story, the classic "Shambleau" in the November '33 issue of "Weird Tales," to this, her final book, she combined elegant yet colorful prose with a distinctive emotional flair and one helluva imagination. Her 20-year collaboration with Henry Kuttner resulted in over a dozen remarkable novels and hundreds of short stories, and the team was surely one of the sturdiest pillars of science fiction's so-called Golden Age. What a terrible loss to the genre was Kuttner's early death in 1958, at the age of 44. Moore never returned to the field of sci-fi after his passing, instead writing scripts for such television programs as "77 Sunset Strip" and "Maverick." "Doomsday Morning," thus, was her last sci-fi hurrah, but what a fine note to go out on! Like all the other works from this remarkable team, I mo(o)re than highly recommend it!

Doomsday Morning is brilliant. It's the story of a near-future America that has become a de facto dictatorship under a permanent "President" - who is now getting old, with no clear successor. It's also the story of Rohan, who was once a major movie star but lost everything with his wife's betrayal - and now has a chance to get it all back. It's the story of a revolution against tyranny. And it's the story of the production of a live touring play.

The characters are sympathetic and three-dimensional, the plot is very exciting, and the writing...Moore clearly transcended the sometimes juvenile writing of her contemporaries. Although this is a true science fiction novel, it has the emotional complexity and depth of the best mainstream novels - a quality which was her specialty. It's also extremely readable. Doomsday Morning is one of the few books I re-read yearly, for sheer pleasure.

Incidentally, it's clear that Moore must have done theatre because the stagecraft rings very true. Her portrayal of the future dictatorship of America through control of the media and communication is also quite prescient.

Highly recommended. I only wish there was a sequel, or more books like this in any case.

In a world filled with drug ads, it's hard to find the truth about medicine. Newspapers and magazines aren't going to risk losing all that ad revenue by telling the truth about drugs, including vaccines. That's why every parent should read this book. At least you'll be able to make an informed decision about which drugs to have pumped into your children's bodies. The material in this book is all documented and factual and it provides a fascinating, though at times frightening, look at the vaccine industry today.

I acquired several copies of this book after seeing a segment of ABC's "20/20" in the mid 80's. I have a beautiful daughter who was born in 1975 who is today profoundly mentally disabled and has intractable seizures. I am saddened that, still today, untold numbers of children are still having their lives taken from them due to this "poison". This book is an excellent source for those seeking information, and a source of comfort for those of us in this situation. It was the first time I realized that I am not alone...

October 1998

This is the 3rd book of a currently 3 book series. The first is Dragon's Pawn. It can stand on its own, if you can't find the first 2. Lealor is now the main character (Pawn & Knight mainly about Jarl, her father). The series and book are written in a happy, light tone; with magic, adventure, great characters including dragons, nice sentiment, and a playful plot. After you have read it, you will remember it fondly and enjoy rereading it. The denoument in the book barely avoids being mawkish, but ends up being quite clever by the end. You really wonder what will happen next in this world ....

I am glad to have read this book. This book was a one of a kind masterpiece. I don't know who Carol.L.Dennis is but whatever goes on in her/his head must be something. It is a book I have not read before. I have read this book twice in one year. I hope you get around to enjoying this experience for yoursrelf.

Definitely again an awesome EJ mood, with that wit and slight taste of bittersweetness that you conjure up when you grow old and look behind.
I totally adore "Answer in the Sky", and "Weight of the World". Some typos in the lyrics, but nothing serious.

I simply love the album, Peachtree Road. This book does a great job laying out the chords for piano or guitar. If you are looking for a faithful representation of Elton John's work, this is it. I played along with the album for a lot of the album and so far every song is in the correct key.

The DC Universe contains thousands of quality characters. Unfortunately, only a small fraction are used to even half of their potential. Every so often, an author will dust off one of these forgotten gems and make readers take notice, such as George Pratt did with Hans von Hammer, the Enemy Ace, in this book. A true graphic novel, not a trade collection, this story is a beautiful piece of work. It's an interesting exploration of what makes a soldier, told in a series of flashbacks brought on through an aged Hammer's interview by a Vietnam vet.

Actually, I would rather give it 9 of 10 stars, due to the art. Pratt's painted pages are great, but they're not very detailed, so it's hard to decipher exactly what's occurring at times. Still, it's a minor problem. DC should put it back in print.

Being an aviation buff and military reenactor I have grown to recognize that war is a sickness that has plagued mankind for eons past. George Pratt brings the meaning of war and the emotional scars it leaves on it's victims, the survivors, to life in characters who are generations apart but who suffer from the same endless mental anguish for the rest of their lives. Each being left to wrestle with their own mental demons long after the war(s) are over. This is a very emotional novel that left me to ponder the fate of all those who tasted combat. My heart goes out to those poor souls whose respective governments left them alone to deal with their personal horrors once the smoke has cleared. I'm not afraid to admit to shedding a tear at the end of this wonderful novel. This book, like "All Quiet on the Western Front" should be required reading by anyone who is contemplating joining the military or better yet, those at the "top" who wantonly send their children away to be slaughtered.

When he was almost 80 years old Skinner, the creator of behaviourism, decided to share with us his wisdom about old age. This is a very useful book for people approaching old age, or for those who have to deal with old people.

Whatever you think of behaviorism, or Skinner's other works, this book is an admirable effort, and his approach to old age can be profitably adapted by those of any age. Skinner takes a clear-eyed look at how to alter one's environment -- one's home, one's habits, developed over a lifetime but often suboptimal for the person one has become -- to minimize inconveniences and maximize enjoyment.

I first read this book in my early 20s, and I was profoundly struck by Skinner's pragmatic assessment of his circumstances and his focus on making positive steps to improve his life.

[Incidentally, I shared an elevator ride with Skinner around the time this book came out (before I had read it) -- we didn't talk, but he scowled at me.]

We found this book because Richard Rhodes raves about it in his "Erotic Journey" autobiography. The book helps enhance lovemaking... and love. First part consists of facts... anatomy, general technique. Then, the second part consists of exercises, starting with simple communication and kissing and moving to techniques for helping each other reliably achieve 30-minute climaxes. It's nearly unnecessary to say that the exercises are fun. But the book is more than fun - it approaches being essential.

I read a lot of books about how to do good sex and how to be intimate. This book continues to be the most accessible to a broad group of people interested in the journey of intimacy.<P> A tested and thought through program of 13 weeks that will bring partners together in a profound way, without esoteric ritual. I give this book as a wedding present in addition to anything else I might want to send a new couple on their journey with

This book is very informative and written in an easy to understand way. The reader need not have any prior knowledge of the subject to understand the content. It's also a great quick reference guide for those a bit more experienced.

This book is the unsurpassed "bible" of how to investigate haunting cases by the knowledgable director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations, Loyd Auerbach. It is witty, well-written, and gives an accurate and entertaining account of basic concepts such as the types of ESP, how to differentiate a ghost from a haunting, and identifying fraud. Though hard to find, this book is a real must read for anyone at all interested in the subject.

I was ticked at myself after having read the back cover before diving into the novel itself. From the excerpts, the reader knows the main character is schizophrenic right from the beginning, which took some of the fun out of the first chapter or two. But now that all is said and done, I look back on this read and nod my head in approval.

EYES EVERYWHERE follows Charlie, an employee in a prominent DC law firm, who after 9/11 gets assigned the duty of captain on the firm's evacuation team (in case of a terrorist threat). Already worried about losing his job as layoffs sweep the firm, Charlie one day makes a comment that is contrued as racist while in a business meeting. That day he is followed by a black man. Cameras are in his apartment. The Mexicans are consipiring against him. His wife is in on it...

Matthew Warner's tale about Charlie's descent into paranoid schizophrenia is brilliantly executed. The writing is very tight. Don't worry, I did not spoil anything. Forget about genres, this is just great fiction...

For a more in-depth review, see Insidious Reflections #8.

"I remember when I lost my mind ... Yeah, I was out of touch / But it wasn't because I didn't know enough / I just knew too much / Does that make me crazy? ... Probably." -- Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"

In just his second novel, author Matthew Warner has chosen to tackle a subject that most authors would not attempt until much later in their careers: the psychological downward spiral of his protagonist. It is not an easy topic; it requires a lot of research and good amount of natural insight and empathy. Luckily, Warner has shown an affinity for both in his previous works, making him the ideal person to write it. Eyes Everywhere is easily the novel of the year, and a lot of it is due to that perfect fusion of book and author.

An offhand remark at a company meeting starts Charlie Fields, a thirty-year-old husband and father in a dead-end secretarial job, down the road that will eventually lead to his total undoing. Already in fear of being considered a candidate for "reduction in force" ("RIF. It was one letter removed from RIP."), Charlie's comment causes offense due to certain racial overtones, and at the end of the day, he notices someone is following him home -- a black man in a business suit.

Soon, Charlie comes to believe that his wife is preparing to leave him for a Mexican and eventually becomes suspicious of all darker-skinned people. Things begin to spiral out of control as Charlie sees links where there are none, perceives threats from people in high places, and attempts to translate communications given via fast-food wrappers.

Like his friend and mentor, Gary A. Braunbeck (who offers up a deft analysis of Eyes Everywhere in the Afterword), Matthew Warner does not shy away from genuine emotions -- he embraces them. His short story collection, Death Sentences: Tales of Punishment and Revenge, showcased this penchant in tales like "Middle Passage," "The Cave," and "A Second Chance." The results were uneven in those stories, but it was obvious that Warner's characters were important enough to him to make them feel real (a little too real sometimes), and that he would continue to pursue this to undoubtedly greater effect.

Psychology has been a life-long interest of mine. I even have a degree in it (as much good as that's done me). But people fascinate me and I've been a "hobbyist," so to speak, for over twenty years, always on the lookout for books or movies that delve deeply into the human psyche, specifically its abnormalities. The best of these are those that take their subjects purely at face value, letting the audience draw its own conclusions. Two perfect examples of this are classics of the cinema directed by Roman Polanski: The Tenant and Repulsion.

Matthew Warner follows this same tactic with Charlie Fields. His story is told in third person, but completely from Charlie's point of view, giving us only his perceptions, never the author's. Some authors would feel a need to intrude and make sure we know what is real and what is not, but Warner trusts his readers and their intelligence enough to let us figure it out on our own (or, in most cases, simply guess). This approach has another benefit: It leaves enough room for surprises, and in the end, makes Eyes Everywhere an interactive read, involving us more in Charlie's situation than a more distancing narrative would allow with its strict definition of reality. Neither he nor we really know what's going on (though we suspect that Charlie has mostly got it wrong), and that combination of unknown quantities ratchets the tension way up. Charlie's head, despite its imperfections, is a very exciting and suspenseful place to be.

But Eyes Everywhere will make an immediate impression before you even open the book due to the stunning cover art by Mike Bohatch. Blue, gray, and purple coexist with lightning and an obviously distressed individual to give a hint of what is between the covers without giving too much away. It's a perfect illustration, even more impressive than his cover for The Fall of Never (a book I recommend for fans of this one).

Hardcore Matthew Warner fans will want to spring the extra money for the signed limited edition (available through the publisher's website), because it includes a bonus forty-page novella and more illustrations from Bohatch. "Die Not in Vain" tells the story of Joe Merrill, who is preparing to move his Alzheimer's-stricken mother out of her home. On the flight there, he has a totally realistic vision of the plane's destruction, and soon these visions of his own death begin to take over his consciousness, leading him to realize he may be going crazy. "Die Not in Vain" is in this way related to Eyes Everywhere, and is thus an ideal companion piece, without being anything like a retread.