Video Game Music Review - Bastion Original Soundtrack

Album Name - Bastion Original Soundtrack  

Released On - August 5, 2011 

Composed By - Darren Korb

Vocals Performed By - Logan Cunningham (01, 14, 22), Ashley Barrett (12), Darren Korb (17)

Lyrics By - Greg Kasavin (01), Darren Korb (12, 17, 21, 22)  

Published By - Supergiant Games

My first introduction with the inspired music by Darren Korb and Supergiant Games was not through Bastion, rather through the second entry Transistor, which impressed me with its uniqueness as it behaved much more like a complete artistic experience of an album, instead of being a patched up thing like many soundtracks.

The first entry, that is the soundtrack of Bastion, is even better at times, due to its often moody and engrossing charisma. From the beginning intro by the narrator, the listeners are pulled into the beautiful yet mysterious world of Bastion, and there is a positive sense of wonderful things to come for the adventurer.

The tide of thought-provoking and enticing music never lets off, and there is a skillful mixture of folk, country, electronic and alternative rock among other genres to keep the momentum going. In between this smooth instrumental journey interspersed are beautiful vocal tracks with nuanced lyrics and emotionally charged performances.

Compared to the much more polished nature of the later works by Korb, there is a distinct sense of rawness and desperation, as well as a sense of an emotional journey present here. Every track feels like a labour of love and I as a listener keep coming back to various tracks and even at times to the whole of the album years after my first listening.

Notable tracks - 'Get Used to it', 'Bynn the Breaker', 'Build that Wall', 'Twisted Streets', 'Brusher Patrol', 'Mother, I'm Here', 'Pale Watchers', 'Setting Sail, Coming Home' & 'The Pantheon' among others.

So, Overall Score  - "9.5 out of 10" 

Weekend Shorts - Five Views of the Planet Tartarus by Rachael K. Jones review

Name - Five Views of the Planet Tartarus

Written by - Rachael K. Jones review 

Published on - Lightspeed Magazine January 2024 (issue 164)

Flash fiction is a relatively new kind of short stories, where it is often quite hard to express any remarkable message due to the constraints of space. The reader is often left imagining consequences and things are left without any resolution.

But sometimes authors can provide a satisfactory performance even despite such meagre room for maneuver. Rachael K. Jones tells a story without any viewpoint character, using crisp prose and blending science fiction with horror in only 549 words.

Special mention is to be given to the shocking twist at the end, which also kind of comes full circle by ties with the beginning. And like any good short story this one keeps a lingering presence in the mind of the reader for a while.

Despite everything, I would have liked the story to be a bit more divulging, especially about the setting.

This is certainly a worthy Hugo/Nebula nominee and gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Retro Comic Review - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #25

Name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #25

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer & Artist: Rick Veitch 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne

The second issue of the 'River Saga' may be the weakest of the trilogy, but it is still way better than most other issues of the guest era. The story takes a new direction with the introduction of new characters and new story elements, keeping the reader guessing as to where the story is heading next.

The turtles get pulled into an environmental subplot, involving a greedy corporation and corrupted authority, and the pursuer for the Bloodsucker takes a back seat. But the ecologically motivated semi-conflict does end in this single issue as the trio restarts their quest with the help of a new ally.

Despite the enjoyable premise and execution, the new characters are quite generic and stereotypical in their depiction, and the dialogue at times contains some uninspired puns. And the story might have been polished a bit to make the issue even more powerful and enigmatic.

As like the previous issue, the art is quite detailed and engrossing. Once again, the villainous design of Bloodsucker was the highlight of the character's work.

This gets 3.5 stars out of 5 stars from me.

 

Weekend Shorts - Model Collapse by Matthew Kressel review

Name - Model Collapse 

Written by - Matthew Kressel 

Ilustrated by - Keith Negley

Edited by - Ellen Datlow

Published by - Tor.com 

My first read from this author was quite an interesting one. In such a small space the author has created a unique story that is part science fiction and part horror, and the story flowed like a breeze keeping focused and ended with a neat twist.

Much cannot be expressed about the story without spoiling it, so I will just say that it keeps mysterious all throughout, keeping the reader guessing what is really happening and where the story is actually going.

I would have liked a bit more explanation regarding the setting as many things are left unclear and the potential for further expansion of the premise is rather minimal due to the ending.

Overall score - 3.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Weekend Shorts - Human Resources by Adrian Tchaikovsky review

Name - Human Resources

Written by - Adrian Tchaikovsky 

Ilustrated by - George Wylesol

Edited by - Lee Harris

Published by - Tor.com 

[ Back with this special feature after quite a long time, as I have quite a lot of free time now, compared to what I used to have the last 3-4 years. Hopefully I can continue for a bit this time around. ]

Anyone who reads Tchaikovsky is bound to get attached to his unique prose style and sense of humor while telling a thoughtful or serious story. It seems he can pull this off quite remarkably in the short form as well.

This short is placed in the world of his full-length novel 'Service Model', although featuring different characters and sometimes before that story as well. This one features a human employee in an office where slowly they are becoming unnecessary due to them being replaced by artificial intelligence.

The prose is as enjoyable and smoothly flowing as always by the author. But the  main problem with the setup is that the ending twist could be guessed even from the beginning. The execution was brilliantly done, but the story does seem to be desiring a bit more meat to make it as memorable as other works by Tchaikovsky.

In the end, I'll give this 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Retro Comic Review - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #24

Name: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 1 #24

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer & Artist: Rick Veitch 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne 

The notorious 'guest era' in Mirage comics' original TMNT is known mostly for its inconsistency. These issues are often filled with pure randomness, awkward humor, and sheer mediocrity. But there are also some issues that are still regarded by some fans very highly even these days.

Issues 24-26 are fondly remembered by most fans as 'The River Saga' and the first issue brilliantly sets up the story. We get introduced to how Veitch characterizes the Turtles and their companions, get acquainted with his unique style of storytelling and also get our first glimpses of the main villain, who might be one of the best antagonists of this guest era if not the best.

The art is also quite beautiful, with detailed character works and poignant facial expressions. The first reveal of the humanoid depiction of the antagonist is master class of horror storytelling that I keep remembering quite often when I think of this arc.

There are a few gripes regarding how the characters speak at times or some unorthodox clothing choices not in touch with the general personalities, but these are things that can be easily overlooked based on the overall merit of the plot.

I'll give this a well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Review - Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon

Name - Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void 

Written by - Tim Lebbon

Narrated by - January LaVoy

Series - Dawn of the Jedi 

Published by - Del Rey 

Audiobook by - Random House Audio

There are times when reading a book, you find that the actual setting is just being held back by the plot and characters on offer. 'Into the Void' has quite an interesting setting to work on and the author does quite a formidable job of world building to introduce us to it. But the plotline he uses to portray this setting and the characters he uses never do enough to engage me as a reader.

This story occurs during the time period of 'Dawn of the Jedi', which occurs more than 25,000 years before the movies. It is set on the Tython system and features the forebears of the Jedi order. The worlds described are quite detailed and certainly made me interested in further exploration.

But the story of Lanoree and his brother never really intrigued me much. The timeline kept jumping often without smooth transition, keeping me from being invested in the characters. The action bits were somewhat entertaining, but the protagonist kept getting knocked unconscious too often to seem formidable and unusually kept alive even being so vulnerable. Then when the ending came, it was just too underwhelming to register any meaningful response.

The narration by January LaVoy was quite palatable, and had no particular issues regarding accents or pacing. It is definitely not her fault; rather, the badly handled time-jumps by the author kept me losing attention at times.

This gets 3 out of 5 stars from me, mostly for the interesting setting and skillful world-building.

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars: Yoda

Name: Star Wars: Yoda 

Published by: Marvel Comics

Writers: Cavan Scott, Jody Houser & Marc Guggenheim 

Artists: Nico Leon, Luke Ross, Alessandro Miracolo & Ibraim Roberson

Colorists: Photobunker's Dono- Sánchez-Almara, Nolan Woodard, Annalisa Leoni & Neeraj Menon

Letterer: VC's Joe Caramagna

I was a bit sceptical about picking up this one. Yoda is a huge brand name for the Star Wars franchise, anything with his name usually results in quick and sure sells, so I thought there might not be any worthwhile substance in this. Despite my reservations, I decided to finally check this out based on the reviews on the internet and also as part of timeline wise read-through.

There are a total of three stories here featuring different time periods throughout the long lifespan of Yoda's life, all culminating in a brilliantly executed last issue. The first story occurs on a previously unknown planet inhabited by two new species, who are at odds with each other and the author slowly explores the reality of the situation. 

The second one seemed the weakest to me despite having one of my favorite characters, Dooku. The exploration of the enmity between Trandoshan's and Wookiee's and the unreliability and maddening effect of prophesies was the main focus.

The third story occurs during the time of another of my favorite time periods 'The Clone Wars' and also featured maybe my favorite Star Wars villains General Grievous, so obviously I enjoyed it.

The art was quite gorgeous throughout, with detailed backgrounds and appropriate facial reconstructions and expressions. The action sequences were also done quite competently.

Overall score - 4.5 out of 5 stars. And I do hope other adventures from Yoda's lifespan will be explored in this format, as there is vast scope for experimentation. 

Graphic Novel Review - Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon

Name: Star Wars Hyperspace Stories: Qui-Gon 

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: George Mann

Artists: Andrea Mutti, Gigi Baldassini

Colorist: Vladimir Popov

Letterer: Comicraft's Tyler Smith and Jimmy Betancourt

The new line of character centric 'Hyperspace Stories' initiative truly seems like a promising initiative. It is a great scope to tell fun stories featuring these beloved characters occurring throughout the vast timespan of the franchise. And the first entry is quite enjoyable in a simplistic yet poignant way.

The story is placed sometime before 'The Phantom Menace', while also incorporating a glimpse into Qui-Gon Jinn's time as a Padawan. The characterization was spot on and the cameo by Dooku was a nice delight.

It was nice to have the story focus on the greyer side of the force rather than a straightforward concept of light vs dark. I really liked the interesting yet less known cult that was a part of the story. The interesting story did make up for the relative scarcity of action.

The art was okay, but nothing extraordinary barring a few detailed backgrounds. I would have liked if the art was a bit more eye-catching.

This gets 4 out of 5 stars from me mostly based on the interesting story.

New Book Review - Walking to Aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Name - Walking to Aldebaran

Written by - Adrian Tchaikovsky

Narrated by - Adrian Tchaikovsky 

Series - Terrible Worlds: Destinations

Published by - Rebellion Publishing Ltd. / Solaris Books

Audiobook by - Tantor Media

Adrian Tchaikovsky is an author who is a pure workforce with the versatility of a computer. And his unique prose style and ability to convey so much enjoyment in a wide range of lengths and his genre versatility make reading any of his fiction a wholesome and unpredictable experience. 

'Walking to Aldebaran' is a novella-length tale of science fiction told in the first person that can also be perceived as a metaphor for dealing with the trauma of isolation or torturous ordeals. The build up is a bit slow at first, but the slow reveal of the twist was quite intriguing. And the ending was very satisfying to say the least.

The prose uses quite a lot of humor and pop-culture references to make the shock have that much more impact and after the reveals towards the end the readers realize there were various hints dispersed throughout the story all along.

As I listened to this as an audiobook, I would also like to mention the brilliant narration by the author which added quite a lot to the experience (although as English is not my first language I had a few problems with some accents).

This gets a well deserved 4 out of 5 stars from me and I'll surely delve deeper into the works by Adrian Tchaikovsky soon.

Graphic Novel Review - Aquaman: A Celebration of 75 Years

Name: Aquaman: A Celebration of 75 Years

Published by: DC comics

Writters: Various

Artists: Various 

When considered as a sampler or entry point for new readers into the world of Aquaman, this collection does a fine job. But when thinking of this as a collectable item for seasoned reader it does fall a bit short as it misses some of the classic or legendary issues.

Readers will mostly get an introductory idea about the characters and setting of the world of Aquaman and some information regarding some of the noteworthy runs featuring Arthur. Some of the art from the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age  is quite charming and beautiful. And the primers from the modern comics also pique interest regarding these storylines.

I would have loved to read or experience some of the other specific legendary issues, like silver age introduction of Thanatos or some of the other extravagant Peter David issues beside the mid blowing 'Single Wet Female'.

Overall score - 3.5 stars from me, mostly due to some unfortunate omissions.

Retro Book Review - The Rising Force

Book - The Rising Force

Writer - Dave Wolverton

Series - Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice #1

Published By - Scholastic 

'Star Wars Legends' line of fiction has always interested me a lot, so I finally decided to get into the depth within this world and started reading pre-episode-I stuff to compare it with the current canon. The overall verdict about this series featuring everyone's favorite team of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi on the internet was quite positive and I would in a sense agree with this based on the first book as this one quite enjoyably establishes the setting and opens up interesting momentum for future storytelling.

This one has quite a few interesting tid-bits regarding the life of a youngling in the Jedi temple, the first interactions between the featured duo, introduces us to some interesting aliens and has a rather fast-paced simplistic structure to provide a relaxing experience while reading.

In a negative aspect, the characters do seem to behave a bit unnaturally at times (this is to be expected in a middle-grade book actually), the villains are too one dimensional mostly, and the ending seemed a bit abrupt.

In the end, it creates a nice starting platform for the series and hopefully things will get even better down the line.

3.5 stars from me.

Graphic Novel Review - Star Wars Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 3

Name: Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Vol. 3

Published by: Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Haden Blackman, Ryan Kaufman, The Fillbach Brothers, Tim Mucci

Artists: The Fillbach Brothers

Colorist: Sigmund Torre, Pamela Rambo, Sno Cone Studios

Letterer: Michael David Thomas 

It's been a while since I read the first two volumes of this series, but after starting this third one I was instantly transported into the world this series was inspired by. 

The first story 'Rogue's Gallery' features some of the fan favorite villains of the prequel era fighting between themselves, which was quite fun, but somehow seemed like a missed opportunity.

'The Package' is clearly the best story in this volume (maybe the best is the series so far) and the twist at the ending is such an enjoyable gut punch reminding us of the overall grimness of the situation.

The third story named 'A Stranger in Town' is kind of like a wild west story featuring Yoda and a bit weird with its action scenes.

'One Battle' is a Plo Koon story which is quite mediocre except for the interesting last line.

Overall score - 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Retro Comic Review - Gizmo and the Fugitoid #2

Name: Gizmo and the Fugitoid #2

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer: Peter Laird and Michael Dooney 

Artist: Michael Dooney 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne 

The second issue picks up just where the first one left off. We find our heroes prisoners of the Triceratons and trying to figure out a way to get out this prickly in one piece.

The story suffers a bit with some unlikely coincidences as the author tries to finish everything in this issue and the Triceratons come out a bit out of character because of this. 

Although the art is as good as ever, even better than the first at times with the detailed spaceships and background work. Throughout the whole two issue series, I kept coming back to back pages just to goggle at the detailed art.

This gets another nostalgic 4 out of 5 stars. 

Retro Comic Review - Gizmo and the Fugitoid #1

Name: Gizmo and the Fugitoid #1

Published by: Mirage Comics

Writer: Peter Laird and Michael Dooney 

Artist: Michael Dooney 

Letterer: Steve Lavigne 

I have been checking out the original Mirage comics and came upon this 2 issue mini-series. Initially I was a bit sceptical about checking this out as these didn't feature the turtles at all and although I knew Fugitoid and I had no idea about who this Gizmo guy was. I am glad I decided to check this out.

The first issue does a fine job of introducing us to the main characters, the humourous dialogues of Gizmo and Fluffy was quite enjoyable and I really did feel for the strange situation Fugitoid was in.

The story was fast paced and enjoyable, but the thing I really liked was the detailed art, once again one of the most attractive things of these old Mirage black and white issues. And it also ended in a cliffhanger throwing one of my favorite extraterrestrial factions into the mix, great stuff so far.

4 out of 5 stars from me.