Iron Sky Movie Review

This is a hilarious science fiction comedy.  The plot can be described simply as Oh My God there are Nazis on the moon, but the hilarity around the plot is what makes the movie.  For starters the person who finds the Nazis on the moon is an American Black male model.  He is only on the moon in the first place because the president, who is an obvious parody of Sarah Palin, came up with the idea to boost her poll numbers with a campaign titled "Black to the moon. Yes We Can."  From this premise the movie only gets funnier.

The special effects in this movie are passable but not spectacular, and so is the acting.  Both could be better but they get the story across.  The movie has something for everyone including orbital space battles.  The science in the film is mostly ok, but as with many small science fiction films doesn't worry about the details.  I am sure if you analyzed every little thing you could find issues with it but mostly the science is either not explained, or relatively simple.  For me there were only a few places where I was not able to maintain suspension of disbelief, and those places made for a good story.

As a B science fiction comedy this movie is a fun show and worth watching on Netflix where I watched it.  If you are looking for a serious science fiction movie this may not be the film for you, but you may want to give it a chance when you are in the mood to laugh.

Asus Memo Pad 7 HD Review

The  Asus Memo pad HD 7 inch is what I am currently using to write this post.  It is a 7 inch HD Android tablet and I am very happy with it over all.  It has great battery life and does an excellent job with streaming video apps and websites.  The tablet also has not given me any trouble connecting to different wireless networks.

 Because it is a straight Android tablet it comes pre-loaded with google play giving you access to almost any app you may need.  some of my favorites are the Kindle app, the Nook app, and the Kobo app.  These let you buy and read e-books from different e-book markets which lets you shop around for the best price.  I also enjoy the Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll apps.

 I have had some trouble with some video since the latest version of android does not allow flash, but most sites are using compatible video formats at this point.  If you are in the market for a new 7 inch tablet and don't mind not having flash I would definitely recommend this one.

Strike The Blood Anime Review

Strike the blood is a currently running anime that I picked up last night.  It is currently being simulcast from Japan.  There are only 4 episodes out yet but so far it is a very good series.  The male lead character, Akatsuki Kojo, appears to be a normal high school guy (as normal as they get in anime) but he has also become an incredibly powerful vampire.  The female lead, Yukina Himeragi, has been sent to observe him and told to kill him if he becomes dangerous.  This anime is set on an artificial island built by japan to be the home of the various supernatural creatures that are endangered in the world.

The show starts with whispered rumors of the "Fourth Primogenitor" being on the island.  Shortly you find out that this powerful being is just a high school boy, who doesn't even know how to control the power he has.  His observer, Yukina Himeragi, is very good at fighting, but not so good at anything else.  she has been training to fight vampires and monsters her whole life and is a curious mixture of naive and deadly.  In the episodes so far he struggles with just what he should do with his new-found power, and she struggles with her feelings for him, and becoming a more complete person.  So far they seem to be good for each other.  Oh yeah there are some awesome supernatural fight scenes as well.

The overarching plot seems to be the two main characters growing into their power while trying to save their home from supernatural threats.  This is definitely for a more mature audience and does not have kids in mind.  Minor characters die, and the main character is horribly injured at times.  The violence is extreme in some cases.  I would recommend this show for adults and teenagers, but not children.

 This Anime can be found at www.crunchyroll.com.

Roku Streaming Player Review

This little set top box is a great complement to any home entertainment center.  It basically lets you access your streaming services from you TV.  If you already have Netflix and Hulu plus you will find this streaming device to be very useful.  You simply plug the box into your power strip and tv and then hook it up to your wireless network and you are ready to go.  There are many Roku channels and apps that you can then download.  Some channels like Netflix and Hulu plus will require you to link your accounts, some are free, and others cost a small fee or charge subscriptions.

Depending on how you watch TV this can be a viable replacement for your cable or satellite tv accounts.  The catch is that there will be no programming.  You are completely in charge of what you watch. This sounds great until you just want to veg out in front of the tv, and cant find anything on because there are too many choices.  Also if your goal is to get rid of pesky advertisements this may not be feasible since channels can sell advertising.  Crunchyroll and Hulu plus both do this, and
Hulu plus has a bit too much advertising for something I pay for in my opinion.

Personally I went back to having a DirectTV account, but i still use the Roku to access my Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Crunchyroll content.  To be honest it was the desire to see new kids tv that made us go back.  Roku has a lot of kids content but its all a bit dated and after you have seen the same episodes of "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" 20 times Disney has broken down your will to not seek out some cable provider just so you don't have to see the same damn episode one more time.  If you don't have this issue and can deal with a lack of programming then this may be the way to go for you.  If not the boxes are cheap and lets you stream video from the internet directly to your tv, and the box just works.

You can find Roku almost anywhere.  I think we bought ours at Wall Mart.  Or you can order it at www.roku.com.  There are several models to choose from and one should be affordable.

Review of Wen Spencer's Book Wolf Who Rules

This is the second book in the Tinker series, and it picks up right where Tinker left off.  Fair warning there will be spoilers for those who have not read Tinker in this review, since it starts where the previous book leaves off.

Wolf Who Rules jumps right back into the Tinker universe and takes off running.  In the last book Tinker was accidentally married to Windwolf (a cultural misunderstanding that she is ultimately OK with) and turned into an elf(not as OK with).  When Tinker was finished Pittsburgh was stuck on Elfhome due to the resonance she set up between the portal the Oni had forced her to create between Elfhome and Onihida, and the orbital warp gate. Tinker had intentionally built the gate to resonate with the orbital gate to create a distraction.  The resonance ultimately destroyed both gates trapping Pittsburgh on Elfhome.

When the elves ancient enemy the Oni kidnapped his wife Windwolf called his people for help.  Though Tinker freed herself, the help is still needed to deal with the Oni whom the elves thought safely sealed in their own dimension.  As payment for the help of the other elven clans, Windwolf must give up his exclusive title to all of North America on Elfhome, but remains the Viceroy.  The other clans have come and they are there to stay.  Things are made worse by the fact that the treaty between Elfhome and Earth is based on the idea that Pittsburgh goes back to Earth periodically.  With Pittsburgh permanently on  ElfHome the city finds itself unexpectedly subject to elven law.  Tinker and Windwolf must find a way to bring all of their people together as one without the entire city erupting in a civil war that will burn it to the ground.  Oh and they have to save both Elfhome and Earth from the Oni menace.   Did I mention that Tinker cannot sleep and is slowly going mad because of powers awakened by her transformation?

This book has all the twists turns and moments of sheer genius that we got used to in the first book, but now Tinker must learn to play well with others.  In Wolf Who Rules this series continues on and does nothing but get better.

This book is published by Baen can be found at amazon.com as well as Baen's e-book store.

Review of Wen Spencer's book Tinker

 This book is a science fiction/fantasy cross over.  It takes place in a near future Pittsburgh that has been transported to the dimension of the elves as a side effect of an orbital warp gate.  When the gate is on Pittsburgh is on Elfhome, and when it is off it exists on earth.  Because of this side effect the warp Gate is shut down on a regular schedule, that is called shutdown by the residents of Elfhome and Pittsburgh, so that supplies and people can make their way into or out of the city.

The main character is a girl genius that goes by the name of Tinker. At the start of the story she seems to be content creating crazy inventions that fuse science and magic at her scrapyard that she runs to pay the bills.  The problem is that Tinker has secrets, and is more than she appears.  When Windwolf, the local elf lord, gets chased into her scrapyard by strange magical constructs one shutdown eve her life is turned upside down.  Not being the sort to take such things lying down Tinker takes matters into her own hands, and nothing will ever be the same because Tinker is not the only one with secrets.

This book is the start of an awesome series, and the only problem with it is that as with all of Wen Spencer's books you are left wanting more.

 This book is published by Baen can be found at amazon.com as well as Baen's e-book store.

Review of Wen Spencer's book Eight Million Gods

Wen Spencer's Eight Million Gods is an great story set in modern day Japan.  The story has a very anime feel to it and the action moves very quickly.  Once I picked it up I didn't want to put it down.  I ended up reading it twice.  I really like how the story takes the reader on a up close and personal journey through Japanese spirituality.  As usual Wen Spencer has characters with real problems that still manage to kick some butt.  At this point I should tell you something I didn't like about the book but I cant really think of anything.

   The main character Nikki Delaney has a mental disorder which forces her to write horrible scenes.  She has painstakingly turned this disability into an asset by harnessing it to write horror novels.  The problem is her latest story doesn't seem to be a story, since her scenes keep coming true.  The story follows her as she unravels just what her "disability" is, and what she must do to keep her writing from becoming horrible reality.  This book could be a sad horror story, but Wen Spencer instead made it an adventure through the paranormal side of Japan.  She even introduces some of the eight million gods.

This book will appeal to anyone who likes urban fantasy, or paranormal novels.  Be warned though you may end up a total Wen Spencer fan.  I know I am.

This book is published by Baen and can be found at most bookstores as well as www.amazon.com and Baen's Ebook store baenebooks

Fairy Tail Anime

     Anyone who likes fantasy and action should like this series because it has plenty of both plus a healthy dose of comedy.  Despite this the characters are quite deep, and the comedy hides the fact that every character has major trauma in their past.  The basic setup of this show follows the members of the magic guild Fairy Tail as they take jobs, help people, and blow up or otherwise destroy various things and places.  Guild jobs are used as a plot device to move the main story forward, and over time you come to realize that the guild is a family for most of its members.  The show is lighthearted enough, and clean enough (besides some language) that I think any age group could enjoy it, but it would be better suited to older kids and adults.  If you have young children you may want to supervise them since there is quite a bit of violence.  There are also some adult topics such as slavery, cults, and family drama that will probably go right over young kids heads, but you may want to be prepared to explain.

  This Anime can be found streaming at Hulu, and Funimation (Subscription may be required for the full series) and can be bought at Amazon.com