Poor Things – Madness or Genius?
Mrs. Desperado joins me for a review of the Academy-Award winning film “Poor Things.” Does it deserve the accolades?
My apologies for the sound quality, we were trying some new mikes and don’t quite have them figured out yet.
==} Our Amazon book links:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Steampunk is alive and well, even if they’re calling it “gaslamp fantasy.” And it can be hilarious to boot!
==} My Amazon book links:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Of all the science fiction story concepts, the hardest one to get right is time travel. If it’s done wrong, it can make the reader’s brain hurt from confusion. So why do writers keep producing time travel stories?
==} My Amazon book links:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Witches and Mages, and Clones, Oh My! It’s been a busy week, so our review is a short one this time. Desperado reviews two anime from the Winter 2024 season that are worth checking out: “The Witch and the Beast” and “Metallic Rouge.”
==} My Amazon book links:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Now that I’ve finally seen Denis Villeneuve’s second Dune movie, I was sufficiently impressed that I decided I need to talk about it, in particular the incredible staying power of the franchise. To paraphrase Sam Elliot’s character in the Big Lebowski, the Dune Abides. But why?
==} Kindly peruse my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Have any of you ever had the experience of enjoying a novel’s premise, its plot and its characters, while having the experience spoiled by some repetitive habit in the author’s writing that you find really irritating? I call this phenomenon a “Literary Tic.”
==} Kindly peruse my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Everyone loves a pirate, as long as he’s a lovable rogue like Jack Sparrow. But what were these bandits of the sea really like? Join Desperado for a voyage to the not-so-romantic past of the buccaneers.
==} Kindly explore my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Why does Steampunk appeal to one sort of reader, while others prefer Westerns or Regency romances?
Today we look at the different historical eras and how the spirit of the times define their fiction.
==} Kindly peruse my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

The Scientific Revolution – an age of conspiracy, greed, and great discoveries. The fascinating backdrop for Neal Stephenson’s eight-book series that makes history read like science fiction.
==} Kindly peruse my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Have you ever heard of Dieselpunk? Biopunk? Clockpunk. Today, we look at some of the other niche genres of Science Fiction.
==} Is Steampunk Political?
https://www.bitchute.com/video/ynfC6GfW5mAY/
==} Kindly peruse my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Sorry, no show this Friday. We'll be back next week!

It’s always exciting to share a new steampunk discovery with the world. This week it’s the S.T.E.A.M.C.A.P.P. Gilded Age adventure series by J.T. Murphy. How does it measure up to classics such as The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences? Watch and find out!
==} Kindly peruse my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Napoleon Bonaparte was a towering figure of the 19th Century. Was he a tyrant, a genius, a reformer, or all three? How was in portrayed in the literature of the time, being written about even now?
==} Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

This week we review an award-winning action series that was both crowd-funded and self-published: "Powers of the Earth" and "Causes of Separation" by Travis J. I. Corcoran.
https://youtu.be/MMAjeD_6iYc

Babel: On The Necessity of Violence, etc., is the fourth book of whiz kid R. F. Kuang. This steampunk-ish historical fantasy won the 2022 Nebula Award that has nonetheless generated a bit of controversy.
==} Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Happy New Year 2024! Today Desperado reviews a Steampunk series about an airship-piloting Baron who’s actually a teenage girl. Can she save her beloved Rislandia from the conquering Wyranth?
==} Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Over the last three decades, Pixar has churned out dozens of great animated films. Pixar founder Ed Catmull tells the fascinating story of how they did it and how we can tap into that same creative energy.
==} Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

It’s Christmastime and what could be more appropriate than hot chocolate, a roaring fire, and some scary ghost stories – seriously? Yes, ghost stories are a popular Yuletide entertainment in the UK and for some families in the US. Is yours one of them?
==} Check out my short fiction (some within anthologies by George Donnelly) on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Love-Flash-Fiction-Anthology-ebook/dp/B01MQVG0JL
https://www.amazon.com/Valiant-He-Endured-Insolent-Liberty-ebook/dp/B01F2RLLGW
https://www.amazon.com/Steaks-Walls-Dossiers-Trump-Anthology-ebook/dp/B077XNNXW3
https://www.amazon.com/Found-Pet-Vaughn-Treude-ebook/dp/B018H41FRM
https://www.amazon.com/Love-At-Stake-Vaughn-Treude-ebook/dp/B076ZVPWW2
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6

What makes one book more enjoyable to read than another? The secret ingredient is pacing. Today Desperado reviews and compares two classic steampunk novels and contrasts the pacing of each story.
==} Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Should we fear AI? Or could it save us from ourselves? This week’s video looks at the fictional portrayal of the technology from the perspective of someone who’s worked with it in real life.
==} Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Many of you have see the new sci-fi series “Silo” on Apple TV+. But have you read the novels that spawned it? In this week’s show, Desperado reviews the books that gave birth to the streaming sensation.
==} Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Were the Plymouth participants in the first Thanksgiving colonialist villains or maligned heroes? Find out in this week’s installment of Steampunk Desperado!
==> Referenced in the show: My review of Not Stolen by Jeff Fynn-Paul, PhD
https://vaughntreude.com/was-america-stolen-from-the-natives
==> Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Dilemma-Steampunk-Tarantela-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01HBQ7CA6
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

The Fall Revolution of Ken MacLeod
What is Techno-Utopianism? Why do Libertarians love the work of an avowed Socialist?
Learn the answer to these questions and more in this week’s show!
Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

Steampunk does not have to take place in London, Paris, or New York. Gears, guns, and goggles are just as appropriate in the dusty streets of Socorro or Tucson.

Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284

In a recent show, I noted that steampunk is often associated with YA (young adult) fiction, yet it is NOT so well known for humor. Why is that, and what are some examples of this rare bird, the steampunk comedy?
The famous Key & Peele steampunk sketch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbq6Wfh9fi4
Check out my books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Fidelios-Automata-Adventure-Alternate-Tarantela-ebook/dp/B00X1N7THK
https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Ione-Mayan-Marvel-Adventures-ebook/dp/B01G2TBBPU
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures-ebook/dp/B071J7WNQG
https://www.amazon.com/Professor-Ione-Epicurean-Incident-Adventures/dp/0988244284