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 …
Author Archives: Joe Kessler
Book Review: Last One Out by Jane Harper
Book #45 of 2026: Last One Out by Jane Harper Australian author Jane Harper typically excels at depicting the outback settings of her novels, but I don’t feel quite as struck by the location of this one, which takes place in a dying small town. The dynamic there is interesting, with a local mining company …
TV Review: Tin Man, season 1
TV #14 of 2026: Tin Man, season 1 This 2007 miniseries had been on my radar for a long while due to its great main cast, so I’m glad I finally tracked it down to watch it. (A quick note on that: the show is supposed to be three episodes of roughly 90 minutes each. …
Movie Review: Creed II (2018)
Movie #14 of 2026: Creed II (2018) Rocky IV (1985) was the low point of the original Rocky movies, but it ended up representing an important piece of the backstory for the spinoff Creed (2015). As such, I suppose it’s fitting that this next installment in the saga continues to draw from that source, this …
Book Review: The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson
Book #44 of 2026: The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson This novel has a lot of heart and a couple interesting ideas that unfortunately just don’t cohere together for me. The tone often feels like it was written with a middle-grade audience in mind, but it touches on some pretty heavy topics and …
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TV Review: Homicide: Life on the Street, season 2
TV #13 of 2026: Homicide: Life on the Street, season 2 A very short season at only four episodes, reportedly because NBC wasn’t confident the series had enough of an audience to justify making any more of it. (Contrary to those concerns, the show would ultimately last for another five standard-length seasons, followed by a …
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Book Review: Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
Book #43 of 2026: Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy There’s a raw edge in author Jennette McCurdy’s debut novel that makes sense if you’ve read her autobiography I’m Glad My Mom Died, adding up to some very striking passages illuminating a young protagonist who likewise doesn’t have the support structure of a caring parental …
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Movie Review: KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
Movie #13 of 2026: KPop Demon Hunters (2025) Even after it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature last night, I sort of assumed that this musical fantasy cartoon was being overhyped on the basis of its ubiquitous breakout track “Golden” (which also won Best Original Song). As it turns out, however, the rest …
Movie Review: Creed (2015)
Movie #12 of 2026: Creed (2015) An unexpected franchise spinoff that swiftly establishes its own unique vision around a different protagonist played by an outstanding Michael B. Jordan. The Rocky movies ended for the natural reason of the titular character’s advancing age, and it was already silly in 2006, thirty years after his debut, to …
TV Review: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, season 1
TV #12 of 2026: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, season 1 A reasonably successful merger of the larger Star Trek franchise with the rhythms of a CW-ish teen drama. This is a Discovery spinoff by means of Jett Reno and Admiral Vance in the supporting cast, but the main focus is on a small cohort of …
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The Lesser Joke: book reviews and more 