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    Blog Launch

    July 11, 2019 by

    Hello! My name is Joe Kessler, and I’ve been blogging in one form or another since 2004. This is the launch of my new home for that, where I’ll be posting book reviews and other short pieces of writing. I’m also debuting a Patreon site for anyone who would like to support my efforts through… Read more

  • Movie Review: The Terminator (1984)

    April 3, 2026 by

    Movie #16 of 2026: The Terminator (1984) This action thriller launched a franchise and helped make household names out of star Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron, and even on an umpteenth rewatch, it’s very easy to see why. It’s a lean and propulsive feature, wrapping a great sci-fi exterior around a classic horror structure… Read more

  • Book Review: The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon

    April 2, 2026 by

    Book #51 of 2026: The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon [Disclaimer: I received a free Advance Reader’s Copy of this title from the publisher Atria Books in a Goodreads Giveaway, in exchange for an honest review.] There will be inevitable comparisons of this upcoming novel to The Brave Little Toaster, which author… Read more

  • TV Review: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, season 1

    April 2, 2026 by

    TV #16 of 2026: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, season 1 I went into this musical dramedy expecting something like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or Galavant, with catchy original songs functioning to move the plot of every episode along. Instead, it’s more like Glee meets Ally McBeal with a dash of Joan of Arcadia: people singing choreographed cover versions… Read more

  • Book Review: The Rubber Band by Rex Stout

    April 1, 2026 by

    Book #50 of 2026: The Rubber Band by Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe #3) This third Nero Wolfe mystery, also published under the alternate title of To Kill Again, is fine, much as the previous installments have been. The best elements remain the eccentric homebody detective and his banter with his assistant Archie, while the specific… Read more

  • Book Review: Moonrise by Ben Bova

    March 31, 2026 by

    Book #49 of 2026: Moonrise by Ben Bova (Moonbase Saga #1) I remember liking this mid-90s duology about the first lunar settlement within author Ben Bova’s larger Grand Tour sequence of space exploration stories, but mainly for the political element, which it turns out is mostly in the sequel Moonwar. Here that takes a backseat… Read more

  • Movie Review: Creed III (2023)

    March 27, 2026 by

    Movie #15 of 2026: Creed III (2023) Can you make a Rocky movie without Rocky Balboa? This latest release in the saga proves that you can, although his absence in the final act is rather conspicuous. Before that, our newer hero Adonis Creed spends most of the picture in retirement, rendering it more plausible that… Read more

  • TV Review: 12 Monkeys, season 4

    March 26, 2026 by

    TV #15 of 2026: 12 Monkeys, season 4 I’ve been iffy on this Syfy series all along, but I’m happy to report that it saved the best for last. Despite all the open threads and sudden twists that have brought us this far, the closing season builds to a satisfying climax and conclusion that manages… Read more

  • Book Review: Jewish Futures: Science Fiction from the World’s Oldest Diaspora edited by Michael A. Burstein

    March 24, 2026 by

    Book #46 of 2026: Jewish Futures: Science Fiction from the World’s Oldest Diaspora edited by Michael A. Burstein [Note: The cover of this book gives the subtitle as “Stories from the World’s Oldest Diaspora,” while the title page and listings online have it as “Science Fiction from…” instead.] This 2023 Kickstarter-funded volume presents 16 new… Read more

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