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Hugh Likes Fiction: The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles

November 6, 2024

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The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles

Written by Malka Older

Published by Tor

The Skinny: You seem like you might need something cozy right now.

The second novella in Malka Older’s ongoing series, The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is a delightfully cozy mystery set in the post-Earth colonized world of Giant, née Jupiter. Pleity is Classical Scholar, who studies ancient texts to gather data about the lost biomes of Earth in an attempt to someday recreate them. Mossa is an investigator as well as her once and current romantic partner. They were thrown together again when Mossa’s investigations led her to Pleity’s University in search of a missing and presumed dead scholar in the first book in the series, The Mimicking of Known Successes.
The sequel finds Mossa once again calling on Pleity’s help,some time after their initial investigation, as she attempts to locate a missing student. They find no less than seventeen people have gone missing from the University across a number of different fields. Meanwhile, the previous investigation has shake Pleity’s faith in the organization and its methods. The pair travel not just the many linked artificial platforms orbiting Jupiter, but also to the moon of Io, Mossa’s home and the site of the first controversial Jovian settlement.
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is as enchanting a novella as the first in the series with clever, deep world-building, a cast of lovable space communists, and just enough danger to keep things interesting. Fans will find much to love in this one, and while it spoils the ending of the first book, the opening serves to get new readers up to speed quickly.
Like the first book, the story is over too quickly. I would have loved a meatier, less straightforward mystery for them to solve, but everything clicks nicely into place with a satisfying ending.
Books three and four in the series are scheduled for future releases, so I can’t wait for the further adventures of these two pseudo-Victorian space goofs. You can find The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles in print from your local bookshop, or in ebook or audiobook from your preferred online retailer.

Hugh Likes Video Games: Animal Well

October 18, 2024

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Animal Well

Developed by: Shared Memory

Published by: Bigmode

Played on Nintendo Switch

The Skinny: You know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby! You’re gonna DIE!

With its throwback graphics and simple character blob, one could be forgiven for thinking that Animal Well is a simple exploration game. But the deeper a player ventures into the labyrinthine screens of the well, the more complex and layered the game becomes.


With graphics reminiscent of a 80s console, Animal Well tasks the payer with retrieving the flames of four lamps, scattered throughout a huge maze of single-screen rooms full of puzzles and secrets. Like in any Metroidvania, the player will gain tools and weapons along the way, but the tiny blob of the player’s character can’t do much fighting, and is better off running away from the menagerie of animals found inside the well, most of which will try and make a meal out of the protagonist. The tools you discover on the way are all interesting riffs on children’s toys, such as the Slink, the Bubble Wand and the Throwing Disk. Impeccably designed, each tool has multiple uses. For example, the Disk can be used to hit switches, be ridden to distant places, or thrown to distract dogs who would otherwise chase you. Learning the different uses for every item is key to solving the mysteries of the Well. 


In addition to your main objectives, there are eggs to collect, a host of different animals to interact with and a truly staggering amount of secrets to uncover. Even after rolling credits on the game, there will still be puzzles and mysteries to uncover, with an old-school expectation that you will solve them without hints, and even an ARG-like component to puzzles that require multiple players in different instances. Truly, there is no end to the depth of this Well.
Animal Well’s graphics and sound design are also deceptively simple, but their masterful implementation shows hidden depth. Each of the single screens is full of clever lighting and animation effects that surprise and delight, elevating the Atari-style graphics. Much like with modern pixel art styles, it creates the feel of how you remember old-school graphics rather than the graphics themselves. The sound design evokes the hidden world of the Well with dripping water, off-screen effects, animal calls, and other mysterious sounds.


Animal Well is a rich, complex exploration game filled with hard as nails enemy encounters, fiendishly tricky puzzles, and tantalizing mysteries. It is available on PC and all major consoles.

Hugh Likes Non-Fiction: Cocktails and Consoles

October 9, 2024

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Cocktails and Consoles

Written by Elias Eells

Illustrated by Solji Lee

Published by Running Press

The Skinny: A guide for gamers looking to expand their palates and mixologists looking for new inspiration.

Cocktails and Consoles is neither a definitive guide to mixology nor gaming, but it is a mixture of the two hobbies into a whole that is both satisfying and enjoyable, embracing whimsey from both ends of the spectrum. Written by Elias Eells, host of Youtube Channel Bar Cart Book Shelf, this collection of seventy-five cocktails and mocktails inspired by video games of all different vintages and genres shows a passionate love for both the shaker and the controller.
But what is notable about this collection is the love of craft that is evident in its creation. An assembly of cocktail recipes inspired by video games could on its surface be a slam-dunk low effort product, quickly churned out and just as quickly forgotten. But Eells’ passion for mixology and gaming shines through, and he takes the reader through the subject with thoughtfulness and care, taking nothing for granted about the reader’s level of comfort for either drink or gaming. 
The recipes in the book vary from simple to complex, with a section at the front detailing the tools you’ll need as well as some of the more exotic ingredients. It even comes with recipes to makes some of the more complex mixers, from simple syrup all the way to your own orgeat.
Each recipe is inspired by a different game, from Pong all the way up to 2023’s Elden Ring. There is a single paragraph for each game, and a few illustrations and side bars provide context for the recipes. The drinks match well with the games, either with color and style, as with the Mariogarita, or by being based on in-game drinks, such as the Final Fantasy XIV ether.
Souji Lee’s illustrations and designs are eye-catching and iconic. They add color and a little extra something to the page. The layouts are colorful and flow easily, from the description of the game, to the drink, the the recipe, with extra boxes scattered for additional tips and information.
But the book itself is only half of the equation. With Cockails and Consoles as my guide I visited my local liquor and specialty grocery and stocked up on tools and supplies to make some of the drinks from the book.
I started with the Mariogarita, which was a tart and bright delightful take on the margarita. The campari added something that did more than just give the drink Mario’s signature bright red color. The Ring Drop, inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog, was bright blue from curaçao, and with two ounces of vodka, definitely goes fast.
Cocktails and Consoles is a welcome edition to the library for the gamer or armchair mixologist, and makes a great gift. You can find it wherever you buy books. And also follow Ellis Eells’ YouTube channel, Bar Cart Bookshelf, where he pairs cocktails with reviews of new Fantasy and Science Fiction books.

Hugh Likes Comics: Marvel 85th Anniversary Special #1

September 3, 2024

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Marvel 85th Anniversary Special

Written by: Ryan North and Various Writers

Drawn by: Joshua Cassara and Various Artists

Colored by: Dean White & Various Artists

Lettered by: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Published by Marvel Comics

The Skinny: A great little sampler of stories, including a new Alan Davis Excalibur story!

If there is one thing the ‘Big Two’ comics publishers love to do, it is celebrate themselves, and oversized anniversary issues are no exception. This particular entry is a good one though, with a clever connecting story which just so happens to call back to a hugely successful recent blockbuster film. Written by Ryan North with art by Joshua Cassara and Dean White, it’s a fun little story set in a space station museum dedicated to superheroes. Each item in the collection prompts a different twelve page story about a hero, skipping back and forth through Marvel’s timeline, giving a variety of ‘What-if’ stories set in the future or the past, and brining some beloved creators back to tell more stories.
I will be honest, the selling point to me for this book was the new Excalibur story written and drawn by Alan Davis, and I was not disappointed. I would’ve paid $8 for that story by itself. With colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, it’s an untold story about the early days of the team, and it features all the hijinks, whimsey, and inter-dimensional shenanigans that make ’80s Excalibur such a joy to read. There’s also Spider-Man story about what happened to the infamous Spider-Buggy that would capture the classic Amazing Spider-Man vibe if everyone in it didn’t have cell phones. There’s also a very strong Ms. Marvel story written by Ms. Marvel actress Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada with art by Stephen Byrne. Set in the future, a grown-up Kamala puts on her suit one last time to become a Herald of Galactus!? It’s full of heart and charm, with exceptional art by Byrne. Kalama using her scarf as a version of the Silver Surfer’s board is an incredible visual.
There is also a Moon Knight story set in WWII Japan with gorgeous art by Manga-ka Yuji Kaku, and a ‘Contest of Champions’ story set in the far future that I am honestly shocked that Disney let them get away with. The connecting story wraps up in an enjoyable way that feels very classic Marvel.
Overall, this is an excellent little collection of comics that doesn’t rely on much comics lore knowledge. There is a lot here for dedicated fans, but if you’re curious about comics this is a fun and entertaining book to pick up for a start.
You can find the Marvel 85th Anniversary Special at your local comics shop, or digitally through Amazon or the Marvel App. I give it a big recommendation for new and old fans.

Hugh Likes Fiction: The Mimicking of Known Successes

July 31, 2024

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The Mimicking of Known Successes

Written by: Malka Older

Audiobook Read by: Lindsey Dorcus

Published by: Blackstone Audio

The Skinny: An atmospheric Sapphic mystery set in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere.

In the far future, humanity has conquered Jupiter, living in cities on platforms orbiting the upper atmosphere connected by rings that serve as train lines. After a man disappears from a small and remote platform, Talented by idiosyncratic Investigator Mossa is brought in to solve the crime. But the case leads her to the University platform of Valdegelde, home of her ex-lover, the scholar Pleiti. The pair will have to work together, and work through their differences, to solve the case which threatens Pleiti’s work researching the lost ecosystems of Earth, and the eventual resettlement project.
Older’s delightful science fiction novella is more of a vibe than a mystery, with taking the reader from fog-shrouded platform cities to experimental habitats for cloned wildlife in the comfort of well-appointed rail cars circling Jupiter. But the two leads are so delightful that you’ll be swept up in their Holmes and Watson dynamic as the chase for clues while braving just enough peril to be in danger of missing teatime. The mystery itself is a bit on the slight side, but this story is as cozy as curling up beside a warm hearth and watching the swirling gas giant out your window. Older devotes most of the book to world building, along with kindling the embers of the remaining sparks between the two leads. But I find that I didn’t mind the thinness of the story. This story is all about atmosphere, and the short length means that it doesn’t outstay its welcome.
I listened to the audiobook, and narrator Lindsey Dorcus’s performance is spot on: Neat as a pin and evocative of the Neo-Victorian charm of the setting. Her fussy, idealistic Pleiti and gruff, analytical Mossa are both excellent, It can be hard to sell a romance with one actor, but she does a great job with both characters, and her performance is enthralling.
The novella’s short length does make the central mystery feel a bit simpler and safer than I would have normally gone for, but this was a wonderfully cozy listen. You can find The Mimicking of Known Successes in print and ebook from wherever you buy books, and the audiobook from Audible and other retailers. I highly recommend it.

Hugh Likes Comics: The Big Burn #1

July 29, 2024

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The Big Burn #1
Written by: Joe Henderson

Drawn by: Lee Garbett

Colored by: Lee Loughridge

Lettered by: Simon Bowland

Published by DSTLRY

The Skinny:  The Perdition Job

A great heist or crime story relies on making your antiheroes just a little bit less bad than the people they’re stealing from. The original Italian Job cast of patriotic criminals and the remake’s crew of professionals out for revenge work because the audience is rooting for them to succeed despite the nefariousness of their plans.
The Big Burn #1’s pair of down on their luck bank robbers bring the reader onboard in just a few pages with a whirlwind of gutsy heists played against an equally turbulent romance. It’s fun and exciting right up until they’re caught. And that’s when the Devil himself shows up. When down-on-their-luck thieves Carlie and Owen sell their soul to escape jail, they’re free to resume their high-octane romantic crime spree. But the thrill is gone, both in crime and love. The only option left is to steal their souls back.
Henderson’s writing is sharp and quick here, dropping the reader into the story quickly and getting the reader on the main characters’ side from practically the first page. They also do a great trick of just laying out the stakes and making it seem very natural through the use of character. By the time Owen has is near-death experience and the Devil gives him a tour of Hell, while explaining directly to his face that he likes to set people up to fail at the very last second, We already know what Owen is going to do, because we know that he isn’t going to be able to resist rolling the dice on the chance of pulling off the heist of his afterlife.
Garbett’s art and Loughridge’s colors are also putting in great work. The bright, fast-moving montage of ballsy bank robberies and daring jewel heists draws the eye, right up to where it hits a brick wall. And right when things are at their darkest (with a palate to match) that’s when the Devil oozes his way into the page, all black mist and red highlights. And Garbett’s Devil is nothing if not equal parts chilling and seductive, made up of all red highlights with impeccably coiffed long black hair and dressed to the nines with not a single thread out of place. He dominates the page in the exact way that a character of his import should. The biggest bad that our hard luck protagonists could take on, without a prayer of coming out on top. But if it were easy, it wouldn’t be a heist, would it?
The Big Burn #1 is out in print in deluxe format from DSTLRY. You can find it at your local comics shop or order online at DSTRLRY.co. This first issue has me hooked, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.

The Way of the Buffalo – July 6, 2024

July 6, 2024

hughjodonnell In Case You Missed It, Review, Self-Promotion, The Way of the Buffalo, Uncategorized, Writing , , , , Leave a comment

Hello Readers!
It’s finally summer, so I hope you’re staying cool wherever you are! It has been a minute, but this is the (allegedly) weekly update of what I’ve been up to and what’s coming up.

News!

Safety Guidelines
My short poem Safety Guidelines was recently published in the poetry zine Dreams and Nightmares! The issue is a bit difficult to order, but click the link to find out more about the magazine.

Reviews!

Hugh Likes Comics: Zatanna: Bringing Down the House
I was snared by Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodriguez’s new take on DC Comics’ magical heroine Zatanna, which puts a Noe-Noir spin on the character, starting her out as a Vegas stage performer haunted by trauma. This is the first issue of the story, and it’s a great jumping on point, with no canon knowledge necessary.

Hugh Likes Fiction:  The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
This dark fairytale novella is a short but brutal examination of the rules of power, how to bend them, and how they break you. A sort of inverted retelling of Hansel and Gretel, it’s the story of a woman sent into a magical forest to rescue the two young children of the Tyrant who conquered her village. Tense and thrilling.

Podcasting!

Nostalgia Pilots Episode 95: This Deathtrap Could’ve Been an Email
Episode 95 of Nostalgia Pilots is live! Jason, Jurd, Spence and Myself discuss Mobile Fighter G Gundam Episode 32 – “Dangerous Trap! Neros Gundam Strikes Back,” in which the Shuffle Alliance survive some half-assed assassination attempts while Wong and Master Asia continues to scheme. Also, Domon fights a transforming bird robot piloted by first episode antagonist Michelo Chariot.

Outro!

It’s the summer, and not too much is going on that I’m ready to talk about yet, but I can announce that I will be appearing at the Better Off Read Festival at Artpartk on August 31st! I’ll be selling books and other goodies, so please stop by and say hello!
My very short story collection, The Mountain’s Shadow, is still available from amazon or your preferred online book retailer.

Stay cool, and I’ll see you next week!

Hugh Likes Fiction: The Butcher of the Forest

July 5, 2024

hughjodonnell Hugh Likes Fiction, Review , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

The Butcher of the Forest
Written by Premee Mohamed
Published by Tordotcom

The Skinny: A dark fairytale about the rules of power: how to bend them, and how they break you.

The villagers stay away from the North Woods. They raise their children on the stories of the things that live in the forest and the strange, magical realm in its heart. They memorize the rules they will need to survive should they wander too far into the trees. But while the knowledge was passed on, it never reached the Tyrant, who conquered the village and established his castle on the outskirts. Nor did it reach his two children.
So when Veris is roused before dawn and brought before the Tyrant, she knows what he will demand before he tells her: His two children are missing, and as the only living person to venture into the North Woods and the Elmever that lies within its boundaries, she will bring them back.
In this dark fairy tale reversal over Hansel and Gretel, everything resolves around power, and the rules it follows. Contrasting the typical rules of entering a fairyland (don’t eat anything, don’t give your real name, don’t try and negotiate) with life under a dictatorial regime is a brutal and brilliant choice. Fascists are as capricious and dangerous as the fey. Their rules are no less byzantine, and the penalties for breaking them are no less deadly.
Mohamed’s writing is spare and sharp as a knife, compressing the story into a single day. This is a quick but by no means easy read. The story is gripping, and the characters have depths that peek in just at the edges of their dialog and the narration. This book will get its hooks in you until the final, brutal reveal. I highly recommend it. The Butcher of the Forest is available in print from your local independent book store, or in digital formats from the usual online storefronts.

Hugh Likes Comics: Zatanna: Bringing Down the House

July 1, 2024

hughjodonnell Hugh Likes Comics, Review , , , , , 1 Comment

Zatanna: Bring Down the House #1

Written by Mariko Tamaki

Drawn & Colored by Javier Rodriguez

Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Published by DC Comics

The Skinny: The first part of a gorgeous and engrossing Neo-noir take on a classic DC Comics character.

Zatanna is a DC Character that I’m not super familiar with, but I always enjoy when she shows up as a cameo character. A stage magician who can do real magic, there’s a lot going on with her, and so when I saw the first cover for Zatanna: Bring Down The House, written by Mariko Tamaki with art by Javier Rodriguez, I snapped it up. And I’m glad I did.
This first issue sets Zatanna up as a character apart from the larger DC Universe. Despite being headhunted by larger hotels and even the Justice League, Zatanna works at a run-down Las Vegas casino, doing two free shows a day for sparse crowds. And she never uses the word ‘Magic’ in her act. She says she does ‘tricks,’ but she does have the eerie feeling that someone has been following her, and has been having nightmares involving her childhood and her late father. But surely all that is coincidence. As is the woman who’s been attending every performance for the past week.
This gorgeous first issue feels like something out of DC’s ’90’s Vertigo imprint. So far, this is a story all about a character running from their past, and their destiny, working in a small job for small crowds. Unable to face what they’ve done and their great potential. The narrative is hitting familiar beats, but the setting and character are intriguing enough to keep going. It has that common first issue problem that the cliffhanger arrives just as the action heats up, but the slow burn here is worth the cover price.
Rodgiguez’s rich and colorful art help as well, lending the story a Neo-noir flair with the bright colors and sleaze of the Vegas strip. Rodriguez fills his pages with garish colors, clever details, and a strange shadow following Zatanna throughout her day. The layouts build tension masterfully throughout the issue to the final reveal. And if that reveal doesn’t quite make sense yet, well, that’s what issue 2 is for, isn’t it?
Zatanna: Bringing Down the House #1 is available now from your local comics shop or digitally from your online store of choice. This is an intriguing first issue that has me on the hook for the next one. I recommend it!

Hugh Likes Video Games: Astro’s Playroom

June 14, 2024

hughjodonnell Hugh Likes Video Games, Review, Uncategorized , , , , , Leave a comment

Astro’s Playroom

Developed by: JapanStudio, Team Asobi

Published by: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Played on Playstation 5

The Skinny: A colorful and vibrant tech demo that might finally give Sony the Mascot Character they’ve been looking for.

Entering the Video Game Console market as a 3rd entry in the mid-’90s, Sony historically struggled to create a family friendly mascot to represent its brand the way Nintendo’s Mario and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog did. The transition from 2D to 3D games made the sorts of platformer games they starred in trickier to pull off, and Sony was famously resistant to older 2D and sprite-based graphics. They had a few entries like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, but they didn’t quite carry the day. They didn’t have that same main character energy.
Sony soon found its footing as a more grown-up console fronting game franchises like Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid, and later God of War. But a true mascot platformer remained out of reach. But with the release of the Playstation 5, which includes the pack-in tech demo Astro’s Playroom, they might have finally done it, with a short, snappy little game that shows off the system’s capabilities with a hefty dose of Playstation nostalgia.
Astro himself is a cartoon robot that lives inside your PS5. He and his friends do the work of bringing you your games, and the game consists of a hub area and four zones that each represent different parts of your Playstation’s hardware, such as the CPU, themed as a busy speedway of flying cars, or the cooling system, which looks like a beach resort. It’s fun and clever, and the levels are challenging without being too tricky. They also make full use of the PS5’s Dualsense controller, teaching players how to use the upgraded shoulder triggers and the other new features of the system in a low-stress environment. Each level has its own mechanics as well as sections that transform Astro into a vehicle such as a robot gorilla who climbs using the triggers or a frog that hops using the analog sticks.
The game is also loaded with Playstation references and easter eggs. Throughout the levels, Astro will come across his fellow robots ‘filming’ scenes from various Playstation franchise games in little costumes. You might pass by a bot dressed as Kratos or Ratchet and Clank, posing like a part of that game. Each set of levels is also thematically tied to a specific Playstation console generation, with hidden collectables from that era, such as consoles, controllers and accessories that can all be viewed back in the hub. Players also find puzzle pieces that create a Playstation-themed mural on the hub walls.
Astro’s Playroom is a great little tech demo that is just the right length and level of challenge as well as finally scratching that nostalgia itch for Playstation fans. It is included with the PS5, so if you own the console it is well worth checking out if you haven’t. Sony recently announced a full-game sequel, Astro Bot, coming this fall.

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