tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168115362009-07-21T02:20:00.499-04:00Open a Book with Teleport CityKeithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-62818502626759903572008-07-14T05:29:00.004-04:002008-07-14T17:56:17.286-04:00

By Raymond BensonAppeared in American Playboy Magazine - January 1999Midsummer Night's Doom is a short James Bond adventure written to coincide with Playboy Magazine's 45th anniversary. It is the second short story that Bond continuation author, Raymond Benson wrote that appeared in Playboy, the first being Blast From The Past which ran in 1997. And it goes without saying - I only read Playboy

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-4691823065675988452008-07-09T17:28:00.003-04:002008-07-09T17:50:45.911-04:00

This seemed like the perfect book to start and finish while waiting in an airport, so that's exactly what i did, in between shopping for duty-free scotch whisky and checking the gate assignment board at Heathrow that never seems to be updated until twenty minutes before your flight, and then it changes like ten times. I always expect better of you, Britain. I expect that sort of nonsense from

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-86135099787688324282008-07-09T17:06:00.006-04:002008-07-09T17:27:00.046-04:00

It's been far too long since I sat down with a sleazy Nick Carter adventure novel, but the time I spent waiting for my flight at the Edinburgh and London airports allowed me to finish Berlin and Last Flight to Moscow, as well as a Sam Durell novel (Assignment White Rajah). Berlin is pretty good -- yet another Nick Carter novel that would, if it was made into a movie, take longer to watch than it

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-72992515924898263992008-06-26T03:44:00.003-04:002008-06-26T03:58:48.487-04:00

Written By Jim LawrenceIllustrated by Yaroslav HorakOriginally published in syndicated newspapers in Europe 1977Currently published in ‘Death Wing’ by Titan Books 2007More James Bond comic strip mayhem. Titan Books over than last few years have been producing a series of Graphic Novels featuring the classic James Bond newspaper strips. Each of these books contains multiple stories. Starting in

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-2270313385277144922008-06-20T05:50:00.002-04:002008-06-20T20:00:27.318-04:00

Don McGregor and Gary CaldwellDark Horse Comics 1995Cover painting by Christopher MoellerHere we are, about to launch into the final book in The Quasimodo Gambit saga. So far, Bond has been in numerous fist fights and guns battles. He has been knocked out once. Has had to escape from a burning cane field and a whole slither of snakes. Then he had his mouth forced open and leeches placed under his

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-32166077774760909212008-06-16T05:39:00.001-04:002008-06-17T04:55:49.870-04:00

Don McGregor and Gary CaldwellDark Horse Comics 1995Cover painting by Christopher MoellerWhen we left The Quasimodo Gambit James Bond and fellow agent, Nebula Valentine had just had their asses kicked in Jamaica by a religious zealot, Reverend Elias Hazelwood, Ernest 'Light Touch' Force and Maximillian 'Quasimodo' Steel. At the end of the story they had made off with a semi-trailer full of

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-8272194514303091152008-06-13T03:07:00.005-04:002008-06-13T05:06:05.889-04:00

Don McGregor and Gary CaldwellDark Horse Comics 1995Cover painting by Christopher MoellerIn some ways it is very difficult to review a comic book or a graphic novel as most of the story is told in pictures, and a good illustrator can pack quite a bit of information into just a few pages. Reverting the images to a text format for review purposes is quite tricky, stopping short of reviewing each

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-44658705797059096452008-06-06T04:14:00.002-04:002008-06-06T04:27:43.104-04:00

John Garforth, Mirror Books (1978)I first read Sexton Blake And The Demon God when I was stranded in rural New South Wales a few years back. There had been a bit of a stuff-up with a train booking and I found myself without a seat and a day to kill in the small town of Quirindi. As I didn’t know anyone, and the town isn’t large enough to wander off and explore (not for very long, anyway), I

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-9075576908555360002008-04-04T19:00:00.003-04:002008-04-04T19:04:24.410-04:00

Created by Takao SaitoEnglish version published by Viz Media 2006Just a quick one, but because I have looked at a few Golgo 13 movies in Shrimps Chips, I thought entirely appropriate at this time. Despite my recent Shrimps, I am hardly an expert on Manga films. In total, the animé feature films I have watched could be counted on one hand. And I hate to admit, my ignorance of Manga comics is even

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-14407428385339751542008-03-21T21:58:00.003-04:002008-03-21T22:09:58.237-04:00

Tandem Books 1969I hate to admit it, but I was a Nick Carter virgin. I had never read any of Carter's adventures, which is practically a criminal offence here at Teleport City. I figured I’d better quickly rectify the situation and ducked into the nearest second hand book shop. I only had two to chose from, and for an old paperback, at a fairly inflated price. They must be collectible around here

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-83828511982171036232008-03-11T17:40:00.001-04:002008-03-11T17:42:23.733-04:00

Been working my way through a series of books about the struggle for empire in Central Asia, circa 1800-1918...The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk, being an account of the struggle to conquer or at least influence Central Asia undertaken by the British and Russian empires during the 1800s. Absolutely fascinating history, and regardless of your opinion of empire building or the Russo-British opinion

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-42061826580087735042008-02-21T03:10:00.004-05:002008-03-12T22:05:21.075-04:00

Written by Andrei GulyaskiPublished by Scripts Publishing 1967I generally lounge around in a dinner suit, seated in a candy coloured bean bag, nursing a vodka martini while watching spy films from the sixties. But today, with your indulgence, I am going to slip into a burgundy crushed velvet smoking jacket, light my pipe, pour myself a balloon of brandy and make my way to the library. I have a

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-33142223875319747752008-02-17T23:57:00.003-05:002008-03-12T22:05:21.076-04:00

For You Eyes OnlyPenguin Books 2002Live And Let DieListen For Pleasure / Music For Pleasure 1984Here’s a quick observation, rather than a full blown review. As I spend most of my working day in front of a computer, quite often at the end of the day, my eyes are pretty shot. Sometimes I cannot even watch television or read a book. My eyes simply need time to rest. Usually I just turned down the

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-23231915798382011812008-02-10T19:39:00.003-05:002008-03-12T22:05:21.077-04:00

James McGee, Harper Collins (2006) You don’t send a gentleman to catch vermin. You send Hawkwood.Ratcatcher while being quite enjoyable is a ‘Goldfinger’ book. Have you ever watched Goldfinger? Have you noticed that James Bond doesn’t really do anything. He falls into nearly every trap, and in the end, one of the other characters (Pussy Galore) saves the day. Okay, Bond was the catalyst for Pussy

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-60913262225016621892008-02-10T03:53:00.001-05:002008-02-16T19:26:36.065-05:00

Leigh Redhead, Unwin & Allen (2004)For this review, I am going to look at a bit of local fiction. When I was younger (so much younger than today), I used to live in Richmond, which is a inner-city suburb of Melbourne. Richmond is also the home of the M.C.G. or Melbourne Cricket Ground, if you prefer. The M.C.G. is a massive sporting arena, which holds approximately ninety thousand people, and

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-27657734388420488422008-02-08T15:53:00.003-05:002008-03-12T22:05:21.079-04:00

The Life And Death Of Bushranger Ben Hall (2005)Author: Nick Bleszynski 'I might as well have the game as the blame'. As a bright eyed youngster, all of nine years old, I remember at school, every Thursday afternoon we'd listen to the ABC radio's musical school program. Every week they'd teach kids from all over the country a new song. Most of the song's were sugary confections. One that sticks

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-91238788213213674512008-02-08T15:30:00.001-05:002008-02-16T19:24:29.418-05:00

By Patricia Cornwell, Little Brown Books (2002)Here's a quick one. Those of you who have read quite a few of my film reviews will know that I am pretty squeamish. I am not a big fan of serial killer or ‘stalk and slash’ films. I know a lot of people love this kind of stuff because they enjoyed being scared. I, on the other hand tend to watch films as an escape. There are enough examples of the

Daviddavidptk68@hotmail.co.uk1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-7214698855223342132008-01-24T13:02:00.001-05:002008-01-24T13:02:55.803-05:00

After failing to get the Republican nomination, then losing worse than he thought he would as a third party candidate, Teddy Roosevelt sought to drown his self-doubt and depression by undertaking a rigorous adventure tour of South America. Originally planned as sort of a roughing it eco-tour, Roosevelt soon altered his plans and set off to explore an uncharted river in the heart of the Amazon,

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-53441916342477872322008-01-24T13:00:00.000-05:002008-01-24T13:01:36.524-05:00

Read Under a Lucky Star: A Lifetime of Adventure by Roy Chapman Andrews while on vacation. This is the expedition leader/director of the Museum of Natural History and Science that Spielberg and Lucas based Indiana Jones on. The book, to keep things short, is unbelievably inspiring, thrilling, and poignant, tracing Andrews' life as he rises throw the ranks at the museum to become one of the great

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-1161638656220886532006-11-16T16:23:00.000-05:002008-01-06T23:42:08.339-05:00

Horror Cinema Across the Globe2003, FAB Press. Edited by Steven Schneider.Buy it now from Amazon.comI guess at some point a few years ago, the folks at U.K.-based FAB Press decided they were going to become the best friend and worst enemy of horror film fans the world over by publishing a series of beautifully illustrated, densely-packed volumes on all sorts of topics of interest to fans of

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-1161637263133639392006-10-23T16:59:00.000-04:002008-01-06T23:42:08.340-05:00

1999, Fab Press. By Harvey Fenton, Julian Grainger, and Gian Luca Castoldi.Buy it now from Amazon.comSay the name Ruggero Deodato to the average cult film fan and they are going to be thinking about the wholesome family fun film Cannibal Holocaust, the director's notorious and well-known atrocity exhibit about flesh-hungry cannibals and the tortures (and delectable sauces) they visit upon a team

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-1154622666813065182006-08-03T12:23:00.000-04:002008-01-06T23:42:08.340-05:00

By Douglas Brode. 2006, McFarland Press.Buy it now from Amazon.comI have a huge backlog of books to get reviewed, and while I am nearing completion on the Goldfinger -- "Goooldfeen-GAH!" if you're Shirley Bassey, I wanted to get this one posted because McFarland Press was actually kind enough to send us a promo copy for review, which marks the first time Teleport City has been though of as a

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-1149799058590537532006-06-15T16:34:00.000-04:002008-01-06T23:40:49.192-05:00

I finished Inca Death Squad in one sitting, in between finishing a particularly sweaty and arduous hike in Dominica and sitting down for rum and grilled chicken in an open-air rooftop bar and restaurant as the sun set over the water. By my side, a black-haired beauty in a swaying white linen skirt and cranberry red silk top. For a brief moment in my life, I thought to myself, "Son of a bitch. I

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-1140809858257484812006-02-24T14:37:00.000-05:002008-01-07T00:05:01.940-05:00

By William Gibson. Copyright 2005 (reprint), Avon Publishing.Buy it now from Amazon.comI've gotten pretty far behind in my book reviews, a symptom of trying to actually keep the pace with the moustache-themed movie reviews for the month of February. This means that From Russia with Love, The Long Goodbye, and The Intelligencer have all piled up in anticipation of having me write semi-literately

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16811536.post-1134513742526409182005-12-13T17:41:00.000-05:002008-01-07T00:05:01.940-05:00

By Neal Stephenson. Copyright 2002 (reprint), Avon Publishing.Buy it now from Amazon.comCryptonomicon is a difficult book to grapple with -- literally. The sheer size of the book, which in paperback form comes out almost the shape of a cube, is enough to scare some people away. And this isn't a huge book that is breezy to read. The text, once you are into it, is dense and packed with ideas that

Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17887643336475509672noreply@blogger.com3