Tag Archives: Watch The Skies

Travel Outfit

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Time Tourist Outfitters, Ltd. by Christy Nicholas


My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I picked this book up as part of a reading group list. It’s not a book that I would have picked up on my own I don’t think. A story about a retired time cop (yes, I’m stuck on old Jean Claude movies) that gets dragged back into active service and the mystery that ensues…

I understand why this book was recommended by the person that brought it to the group. There is an awful lot of talk about stitching, fabrics, research and practical application of clothing. This is decidedly not my thing. I get it. It’s important – I just don’t see it working long term for stories.

I found all the characters in this novel to be understandable and have a real feel to them. I was happy to see a protagonist that doesn’t fit neatly into a standard publishing pigeon hole. I was also happy to see secondary characters with thoughts and feelings that mattered to the line of the story.

The world building was a teeny bit problematic, but then I find any kind of time travel story to have issues relating to paradox and changing the past. The author took pains to add explanations about this to the story, but there still seemed to be holes in certain aspects for me. The action parts of the story were all but glossed over and I had a number of logistical issues with that.

In all, I get it ~ but it’s just not my thing.



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You Should Be Watching

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This post was originally published in Watch The Skies fanzine – June 2020

You Should Be Watching OR more precisely, you should watch again.

Netflix has recently made the Nickelodeon show Avatar – The Last Airbender available for viewing. Airbender is an animated series following the journey of Aang, the last of the air nomads as he travels a world where adepts have the ability to change the elements around them using a form of martial arts known as bending. Aang is the Avatar, a person who has the ability to blend all forms of bending (earth, water, air and fire) together. His quest? Save the world.

I originally watched the show with my daughter when it first aired back around 2008. As soon as the show became available we grabbed it up on DVD so we could revisit it when we wanted to. As happens with many discs, the show languished for us at the back of a dusty shelf. We did revisit an episode now and again, but less frequently than we might have. Since the show has popped up on Netflix we sat down and re-watched the entire series in order. It might be more than a decade old, but the show holds up.

This show is one of those rare animated series that combines so many parts that anyone in the family can enjoy it. The world building shows a fantasy world with a number of cultures. There are matters of daily life, holidays, politics and any other sort of thing you’d expect in a world. It’s a place that feels lived in. The characters are as varied as the cultures they visit. Diversity is on display without making a big deal about said diversity. Characters with physical differences and abilities were not treated as if they were somehow lacking, it was the spirit that mattered. As the heroes journeyed through three seasons of shows they dealt with corruption of those in power, sexism, love, loss vulnerability and the use of true power. Heroes can make mistakes. Villains can redeem themselves. Mistakes can be forgiven. I will even say that the ending was one of the most satisfying I’ve watched for any series.

If you’ve seen Avatar, it’s worth a re-watch. If you haven’t seen it you should seek it out.

“I’m not looking for anyone’s approval, I know who I am…” Toph Bei Fong (aka The Blind Bandit)

20 Years

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This was originally published in the February 2020 issue of Watch The Skies.

This year is the 20th anniversary for a number of things, but what prompted this writing is the 20th anniversary of the Dresden Files. I am a fan of Jim Butcher’s work in general and particularly the stories revolving around wizard Harry Dresden. If you happen to be unfamiliar with this particular story, Harry Dresden is Chicago’s first (and only) wizard private investigator. The book series follows Harry’s life and work, along with all of the people he meets along the way.

I routinely recommend this series to people who are not familiar with it. The author really doesn’t need me promoting him at this point. The book series is headed into book 16, there is a role playing game based in this world, there are graphic novels of the story, there are numerous short stories AND it has been turned into a television show. It’s gone big. Mr. Butcher would likely be just fine without my support ~ but that brings me to my point.

There was a time when he was new at this. He was working conventions and writing and doing whatever he needed to keep this series alive. There weren’t other books of his on the market, there weren’t any television show plans, there was just an author and his work. An author that needed to get the word out there and create some interest in his stories.

From my library ~

As fans it is our responsibility to find these authors and back them. When they’re getting creative and making key chains or bookmarks or fridge magnets to keep their work in your mind is when they need fans. They need you to connect with them on social media, review their work on book review platforms and give them word of mouth. Most importantly they need people to buy their books! It’s not easy to cut through all the noise out there and get somebody’s attention. There are literally hundreds of works that vie for our attention every week. Dig in. Look for a new and exciting author. Find the kind of story you really love and push for that author to succeed. It takes time. Sometimes you’ll read a clunker, sometimes you’ll read something amazing and the author will just fade away. It’s a rare and wonderful thing to have massive success ~ but it all starts with you finding a story that amazes and astounds you.

Be a fan. Get out there and find that next big sensation. Jump on board before there’s a band wagon ~ and be sure to write to us here and tell us all about it! We love to hear a good story.

Collapsing Empire

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I posted this review to my Goodreads account first. There was something in the book that didn’t make it into that review that I think is worth considering. I want to note it here because there’s a better than fair chance that I’ll forget by the time we get to discuss this book at Watch The Skies.

The acknowledgements at the end of the book talk about the coincidental timing of the book title vs. the current political climate in the United States. I think it’s noteworthy that the author claims no planned connection. I also believe that however ‘futuristic’ a work of science fiction is, it can not ever be taken apart from the time when it was written. Science fiction is inherently commentary on the time and culture when it was written. While not planned, I don’t think this book is an exception to that.

The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency, #1)

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got this book as a free download from the publisher. I have read some Scalzi before and had a level of expectation going into reading this book.

This book was a little difficult to get into at first, but it became a quick and easy read within the first couple of chapters.

This book was a far reaching scope and still managed to pull it off. I found myself hoping that good things would come about for the Emporox and go badly for those looking to disrupt her. It took me a while to appreciate Lady Kiva, but in the end I could work around the constant “F” bombs.

I like that the story threads wrapped up in this book, but there is enough world building to make me interested in what comes next. I suspect I will be looking the next book up when it comes out.



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