Writer and Podcaster
August 2, 2024
Dog Days of Podcasting, Everyday Drabbles, Free Fiction, Podcast Dog Days of Podcasting, Drabble, Everyday Drabbles, Fiction, Free Fiction, hugh Leave a comment
Hello!
Welcome back to day two of Everyday Drabbles for the Dog Days of Podcasting! Today I talk about preparing for the Better Off Read Summer Book Festival at the end of this month.
Today’s Drabble is “The Chosen One!”
Music in today’s podcast is from Kevin MacLeod!
August 1, 2024
Dog Days of Podcasting, Everyday Drabbles, Free Fiction, Podcast, Self-Promotion Drabble, Everyday Drabbles, Fiction, Free Fiction, Podcast Leave a comment
Hello!
Welcome to Day one of the Dog Days of Podcasting! This year I am performing some of my favorite Everyday Drabbles and discussing editing, tabling at the upcoming Better Off Read literary festival in Lewiston, NY, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
Today’s Drabble is “Landing.”
Music in today’s podcast are “Danse Macabre” and “Ghost Processional – Alternate” By Kevin Macleod.
July 31, 2024
Hugh Likes Fiction, Review HLF, Hugh Likes Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, science-fiction Leave a comment
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.
July 29, 2024
Hugh Likes Comics, Review Comics, Creator Owned, DSTLRY, Faustian Bargain, Heist, HLC, Hugh Likes Comics, Indie Comics, Joe henderson, Lee Garbett Leave a comment
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.
July 6, 2024
In Case You Missed It, Review, Self-Promotion, The Way of the Buffalo, Uncategorized, Writing hugh, Podcasts, review, The Way of the Buffalo, Weekly Recap 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!
July 5, 2024
Hugh Likes Fiction, Review Book Review, books, Fantasy, Fiction, HLF, Horror, Hugh Likes Fiction, Premee Mohsmed, premee-mohamed, The Butcher of the Forest 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.
July 2, 2024
Nostalgia Pilots, Podcast, Uncategorized anime, G Gundam, Gundam, hugh, Jason, Jurd, Nostalgia Pilots, Podcast, Podcast repost, Spence Leave a comment
Welcome to Nostalgia Pilots! In today’s episode: Spence, Jason, Jurd, and Hugh discuss Mobile Fighter G Gundam Episode 32: Dangerous Trap! Neros Gundam Strikes Back!
In this episode, Michelo Chariot returns, but it’s too late for him to become Domon’s nemesis. Plus, Wong blows smoke, Chibodee is chased off the road in his flying car, and Allenby rushes the mic. Plus, Team Neo-Russia can’t be blown up by someone else’s bomb, and Gundam Heaven’s Sword can transform, but still looks like it’s wearing a silly hat.
July 1, 2024
Hugh Likes Comics, Review DC Comics, HLC, Hugh Likes Comics, Javier Rodriguez, Mariko Tamaki, 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!
June 14, 2024
Hugh Likes Video Games, Review, Uncategorized HLV, Hugh Likes Video Games, Mascot Character, Platformer, Playstation 5, Sony 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.
June 10, 2024
Hugh Likes Comics, Review DC, DC Comics, DC Pride, HLC, Hugh Likes Comics, LGBTQ, Pride Leave a comment
DC Pride 2024
Created by Various Writers and Artists
Published by DC Comics
The Skinny: DC once again delivers a beautiful, fun, and affirming collection of Queer stories by Queer creators.
It is June once again, and that means it is Pride month! DC Comics has released their annual oversized DC Pride anthology issue. Featuring a number of stories and pinups by Queer artists and writers and featuring Queer DC characters, this issue is always a delight, and this year’s collection is no exception. Most of the stories in this book can be picked up without relying on current continuity, and a few even serve as intriguing jumping on points for current ongoing series. This is a perfect book for Queer readers wondering if they want to get onboard with comics.
The stories are particularly strong this year, and the art, as usual, is superlative. Al Ewing and Stephen Byrne’s moving opening story about the last two members of an alien race teaming up to stop a lingering threat from a thwarted invasion attempt is particularly great. Despite not knowing the characters going in, it quickly established its vibe and stakes without getting bogged down, and it felt like the kind of little story that happens all the time in the DC universe.
Ngozi Ukazu, the writer and artist of the upcoming Barda graphic novel also has a compelling Aquaman story, featuring the New Gods’ equivalent of Pride, which was compellingly executed and gorgeously drawn, and really makes me want to check out the upcoming book.
Jarret Williams’ and DJ Kirkland’s ‘Bros Down in A-Town’ is less super-heroic but features a ton of cameos from DC characters enjoying an alien food festival. DC Comics has such a rich history of brilliant, strange concepts to draw on, and I tend to gravitate towards those ideas rather than the editorial drive towards scowling on rain-soaked rooftops. Plus, one of my favorite comics artists drew my current favorite DC character, Argus the space corgi, so this one is a winner for me, too.
The stories in DC Pride 2024 are all winners this year, including a heartfelt memoir from longtime DC creator Phil Jimenez to close out the book. The stories all vary in tone, but are generally uplifting and beautiful. There is a little bit of something special in each one, and I highly recommend checking it out and passing it along to your LGBTQ+ comics-reading friends. You can find it digitally through Comixology from Amazon or in print at your Local Comics Shop.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 