The Poets of Rapallo, a Review

December 3, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

The Poets of Rapallo by Lauren Arrington (Oxford University Press) is a brilliant first draft; one looks forward to reading the completed work.

How Far Is Too Far?

December 1, 2022.Reading time 20 minutes.

One of the most difficult things about being a Christian film critic (and a Christian film fan for that matter) is determining how badly a movie has to stray away from a biblical view of philosophy or ethics before it cannot be commendable to the Christian.

Retro Game Review: Fantasy General

October 1, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

Fantasy General is one of the prolific titles that was produced by Strategic Simulations in the 1990s. Unlike their other games such as Panzer General or Pacific General, the game of is not meant to be a recreation for any historical period or particular type of warfare that actually occurred. Instead, Fantasy General offers a totally original setting and game system that allows for the playing out of large-scale warfare that involves fantastical beings, alternative technologies, and magic.

Review of Sailor Moon R: The Promise of the Rose

September 15, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

Sailor Moon R: The Promise of the Rose (currently free on YouTube) begins on a somber note. We see a young Mamoru Chiba ascend a staircase to the roof of a hospital carrying a rose in his hands. He offers it to a small alien boy, who promises to bring Mamoru flowers in return before disappearing.

Starship Troopers: Book Review

August 27, 2022.Reading time 4 minutes.

There are few novels that I have reread as many times as Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. It is a masterpiece of science fiction and is as intellectually stimulating as it is imaginatively engaging. Each time I have revisited the Terran Federation, its advanced power-armored soldiers, and their fantastically alien enemies, I have come away with a new appreciation for this classic work.

Moses, Moses!

April 9, 2022.Reading time 8 minutes.

Growing up, I remember Palm Sunday being a particularly special event, mainly because the grand epic of The Ten Commandments came on TV. We always crowded around the TV to watch this grand masterpiece…

Magic, Children, and Harry Potter: A Discourse on the Pros and Cons of Fantasy Magic

March 17, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

But why are wizards and witches looked on with suspicion, anyway? Are we not simply prejudiced against them? I think not.

True Love: Classic Disney vs Studio Ghibli

September 30, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

I’m just going to come out and say it… I think that, on the whole, Ghibli Studios has a better understanding of true love than classic Disney.

Unplanned Movie Review

July 22, 2021.Reading time 6 minutes.

As you may already know, Unplanned is the true story of Abby Johnson. She worked at Planned Parenthood for years, rising in prominence until she became the youngest clinic director in the company’s history. She was honored as their Employee of the Year. She had a husband and a daughter and what probably seemed to others as the perfect life. But, as the promotions say, what she saw changed everything.

When I was on the Faculty at Notre Dame…

July 20, 2021.Reading time 10 minutes.

“The Oasis Within” can be read solely as a story, and it would be both diverting and useful, but the thinking reader will also consider the many questions about the meanings in one’s life and the nature of the good, the true, and the beautiful.

The Expanse: A Book Review

July 1, 2021.Reading time 3 minutes.

Welcome to the future, where humans have colonized the moon, Mars, and much more. Where people are categorized based on the planet they come from. Where living on a spaceship for more than a month at a time is normal. Where crew becomes family.

A Brief Review of Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers

May 27, 2021.Reading time 10 minutes.

If today you find yourself in the company of Texas Rangers, no matter who you are, you know that truth and justice will prevail. But it was not always so, and that is the thesis of Doug J. Swanson’s disturbing but well-documented book, Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers.

The Darkness in Harry Potter’s World

October 1, 2020.Reading time 11 minutes.

I eventually watched the movies. That’s when things really started to bother me. What was it with these movies and showing a colorless world? It irked me to no end for I truly enjoy a good splash of color.

A Review of Hugh Lofting’s ‘Victory for the Slain’

September 17, 2020.Reading time 4 minutes.

There is much more to Hugh Lofting than conversing with rabbits and squirrels – after all, everyone does that. In 1942 Lofting wrote his one adult work, Victory for the Slain.