From Wiki: Lydia Vladimirovna Litvyak (18 August 1921 – 1 August 1943), also known as Lilya, was a fighter pilot in the Soviet Air Force during World War II. Historians' estimates for her total victories range from thirteen to fourteen solo victories and four to five shared kills in her 66 combat sorties. In about two years of operations, she was the first female fighter pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft, the first of two female fighter pilots who have earned the title of fighter ace and the holder of the record for the greatest number of kills by a female fighter pilot. She was shot down near Orel during the Battle of Kursk as she attacked a formation of German aircraft.

I've JUST passed 1.5 MILLION page views over night..... COOL.....!!!

That's not just 'some woman'.... That's Xena: Warrior Princess! OF COURSE she's happier with a sword in her hand! Duh!

Just Finished Reading: Blood and Chrysanthemums by Nancy Baker (FP: 1994) [282pp] 

Even after 6 months Ardeth Alexander was still getting used to being dead, or undead or whatever the hell it was. Certainly none of her pop-culture references helped much. Not going out in the daylight was pretty obvious and she liked the fact that she was both faster and stronger than before despite not looking it. She really liked the fact that she didn’t have to kill people to just ‘get by’. The whole drinking people dry thing was just a myth. She could just sip a bit and tell them to forget the encounter. A half day later they’d be fine – probably. She could even ‘get by’ on animal blood. Sure, it tasted like shit but sometimes it was just easier. Her ‘maker’, Dimitri Rozokov, wasn’t much help in the whole “how do I live as a vampire” thing. Despite the fact he was 500 years old he wasn’t all that introspective on the subject – odd for a Russian. It didn’t help that he had only recently woken up from a century long nap and was struggling to adapt to the late-20th century. But they both had bigger fish to fry... The organisation that had capture Rozokov and, admittedly inadvertently, ‘turned’ Ardeth might still be out there looking for them – despite the fire and the carnage of their escape. There was definitely someone (or something?) seeking them. Why, they could only guess. Was it someone else looking for the secrets of immortality or something completely different? Was it friend, foe or something else entirely? Did they really want to find out? Did they really have a choice? Maybe, just maybe, the encounter could even provide both of them with some answers... 

This is my first return to the vampire genre for SEVEN years! I can hardly believe it. I used to be SO into the whole vamp thing. One of the (many) things I liked about it was the variety of interpretations surrounding the core ideas. This was another one where the vampires were immune to holy water, crosses and actually anything Christian/religious but could be harmed by ultrasonic blasts... One thing that I did find most intriguing was the fact that they had little idea of where they came from or indeed (for one in particular) what exactly they were. In this ‘universe’ they are vanishingly rare creatures and are a world or two away from the vampire houses etc that seem to populate most of the genre today. Their biggest problems – apart from sunlight – seem to be long-distance travel, accumulating enough money to ‘live’ and the constant fear of being discovered.  

This is actually the middle book of a trilogy (all out of print I think) but missing out on the first book wasn’t a huge issue. Early on there was a 3-4 page ‘flashback’ that explained much that had happened previously and a sprinkling of other information throughout. The writing was pretty solid, all of the characters were well formed and I liked Ardeth quite a bit. I’ll definitely be keeping a look out for the other books and will scoop them up if I come across them. A more than reasonable vampire tale and recommended if you can source a copy. 

The Last 10 Movies – November 2024 Edition 

Well, that was quick. TEN movies already... That might (partially) explain why my book review pile is at rock bottom. I have been trying to watch the James Bond films that dropped recently on Prime, but it looks like a bunch of them are going soon. Presumably they’ll be back at some point so I can continue. As previously I’ve also been dipping into OLD SF movies to feed a small bit of my ongoing desire to launch back into Sci-Fi reading. Hopefully that’ll be happening a bit more NEXT year. Anyway – MOVIES: 

Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008) 

One of the movies used to finish the run of the TV series. I’d seen parts of it before on YouTube and wasn’t overly impressed overall. One more movie to come (I think). 

Dr No (1962) 

The first Bond film (although not the first book) with Sean Connery [my 2nd fave Bond I think]. Set the tone for all subsequent films with womanising secret agent beating back the forces of chaos with fists, guns and quips. Reasonable. 

Dark Star (1974) 

This definitely had the feel of a student project – except the student was John Carpenter. Based around a spaceship crew tasked with destroying rogue planets who have been away from civilisation for FAR too long and are seriously in need of relief. Had a real Vietnam war vibe. STRANGE but fun in places. 

From Russia With Love (1963) 

The second Bond film. This time (mostly) based in Turkey and on a train. Involved rather a convoluted plot to kill Bond. Some nice set pieces. Reasonable. 

Total Recall (1990) 

One of my favourite Arnie flics of the period. This stands up quite well despite its age. Being a PK Dick story it's both weird and philosophically interesting. Is it real or is it Memorex? Oh, and Rachel Ticotin really reminded me of my Uni ‘girlfriend’ - it was probably the hairdo... 

Goldfinger (1964) 

The third Bond film and, I think, one of the best of the early ones. A decently tight plot with some good ideas. Plus, it had the laser scene and the classic line ‘No, I expect you to die...’. 

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) 

Arguably the best of the Terminator franchise with Arnie sent back in time to PROTECT John Connor this time whilst fighting off the liquid alloy upgrade. Some very nice set-pieces and LOTS of fun explosions. 

Thunderball (1965) 

The fourth Bond film based around the theft of a British nuclear bomber (complete with two nukes). A slow start but reasonable once it got going. It did make me realise just how many women tend to DIE around Bond though... 

Dark Angel (1990) - AKA ‘I Come In Peace’. 

Cop buddy film with Dolph Lundgren hunting down an alien drug-dealer on the streets of Houston. I’d actually forgotten just how BAD this movie was. Terrible acting and very silly plot.  

The Secret Life of Pets (2016) 

By the numbers animation about a group of pets from an apartment block who go on a quest to rescue two of their friends. Some nice/funny moments but uninspired overall. 

Happy Birthday: Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theatre, film, and television.

Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "one of the most accomplished actors of the century". A lifetime member of the Actors Studio, he won an Emmy, was the first male actor to win the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.

Meredith established himself as a leading man in Hollywood with critically acclaimed performances as Mio Romagna in Winterset (1936), George Milton in Of Mice and Men (1939), and Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945).

Meredith was known later in his career for his appearances on The Twilight Zone and for portraying The Penguin in the 1960s TV series Batman and boxing trainer Mickey Goldmill in the Rocky film series. For his performances in The Day of the Locust (1975) and Rocky (1976), he received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He later appeared in the comedy Foul Play (1978) and the fantasy film Clash of the Titans (1981). He narrated numerous films and documentaries during his long career.

Just Finished Reading: The Unthinkable – Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why by Amanda Ripley (FP: 2008/2009) [229pp] 

When tragedy strikes why do some walk away when others die? Is it the luck of the draw? Is it just because they happened to be sitting next to the emergency exit or had popped out for a breath of fresh air during a fire? Or the fact that they went to the bathroom moments before the shooting started? Or is it something more and can that something be learnt? This is the heart of the authors investigation. 

Although the majority of the examples and interviews in these pages are US based, there’s a lot of general knowledge and advice throughout this intriguing book. Covering 9/11, a diplomatic hostage incident in South America, a stampede in Mecca, a fire at a club in Beverly Hills, the shooting at Virgina Tech and much besides the author shows what people do, how the human brain reacts to dangerous surprises and why such reactions – often (ironically) hardwired for survival – could determine life or death. Following the initial shock there is often a period of disbelief: this isn’t happening or why is this happening to me? Getting stuck there will, all too often, get you killed. Once disbelief has been banished the question is: what next? Strangely the most common reaction is to do nothing, to wait for direction or rescue. This too could get you killed. Once moving on to doing ‘something’, what exactly do you do? Again, the standard reaction is to see what others are doing. There is, often, safety in numbers – but it can also result in argument, discussion, group think and, again, death. What needs to be done is a quick analysis of what happened, where it leaves you and how to get out. So, where are your exits? Do you know how to get to the fire escape? Can you (or indeed should you) break that window? Do you know if it’s safe to open that door? Do you take anything with you? Do you help others? Surprisingly numerous studies have shown that people hardly ever panic but are actually very polite, will wait their turn and help others who are struggling. Which, ironically, can make evacuations take much longer than the buildings or aircrafts designers anticipated. 

This is an often fascinating and surprisingly multilayered look at how people react in ‘unthinkable’ situations. The author interviewed survivors asking them what they did, what they saw other people do (some of whom didn’t make it) and what they assigned their survival to. She also spoke to experts in the field to get their take on things including those who study the human brain to see why some people panic, some freeze and some take charge. I’m not sure if (as per the tag-line on my copy) that this book might save your life someday, but it does give a LOT of good advice and observations. One of my favourites is the idea of what to do after you check into a hotel. After you’ve dropped your bags in your room, you leave, find the nearest fire exit and follow it to reception discovering exactly where it goes and if there are any problems en route. Now THAT could indeed save your life! A very interesting read and definitely recommended.