Ishmael by Barbara Hambly

 

A crossover between Star Trek the Original Series and a western titled Here Comes the Brides, this book finds Spock stranded in 1860 Seattle with no memory and only knowing that a. he is not human and b. there was something he needs to do. He is taken in by one of the main character of Brides Aaron Stemple who passes him off as his nephew Ishmael and gives him an accounting job. As Spock tries to find his lost memory, the crew of the Enterprise is desperately trying to find out what happened to their first officer and friend. A fun book with lots of western and scifi cameos including Paladin, Dr. Who, Han Solo, Apollo and Starbuck, Little Joe and Hoss Cartwright, Bart Maverick, Matt Dillon, Lucas McCain, The Rawhide Kid, and the Man with No Name. Another fun fact is that Mark Lenard who plays Spock’s father Sarek also plays Aaron Stemple in Brides.

The Last Starfighter (1984)

 

Alex Rogan lives in a trailer park. There is an arcade game in the park called Starfighter. Alex gets the highest score and finds out that it was not just a game but a recruitment program for an alien race and he is taken into space to help aliens defend their universe. A fun movie, although Alex does whine a lot.

Commander Keen

A series of seven episodes where you played as Commander Keen, aka 8 year old Billy Blaze, who defends earth from alien attack with his raygun and pogo stick. I remember this game was fun with slugs you had to jump on with your pogo stick. I don’t remember what “episode” I actually played. I do remember it was fun though. You can find Commander Keen on Steam if you’re interested in playing. 

 

Ready Player One (2018)

 

Based on a book that I have not read, Ready Player One is about a virtual reality world called the OASIS and the people who compete to control it. It’s the year 2045 and the world is a mess. It is such a mess that people escape into the OASIS spending most of their lives there. One of these players is Wade Watters who plays as a character named Parzival. Wade is one of many Gunters who are trying to get the Easter Eggs that the late James Halliday hid in the OASIS. The person who finds all the keys will own the OASIS. Also out to get the keys in the evil IOI who wants the OASIS for themselves. Wade gradually gains a group of allies and together they beat IOI. The movie is great and the cultural references are spot on. I have been told that they took great liberties with the text of the book, but since I have never read the book I enjoyed the movie for what it was.

Witch Mountain

 

Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key

The book that started the Witch Mountain franchise. In it, orphans Tia and Tony are running away from a rich billionaire that wishes to exploit them for their powers. They’re aliens you see. In the book Tia only speaks telepathically to Tony. She’s mute to everyone else. Jason O’Day in the original book is a priest. One of my favorite science fiction quotes comes at the end of this book when Day tells Bolt, “Do you think my God is so small that he could not create other worlds like this one?”

Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)

The movie stays pretty close to the book except that Jason O’Day is not a priest and Tia is not mute. This was one of my favorite movies growing up (and I still think it’s pretty great). I actually watched this movie before reading the book. It was many years later when I discovered that it was a book. For that reason I like the movie slightly better than the book.

Return from Witch Mountain (1978)

I don’t think this movie is as good as its predecessor. Basically Tony gets captured and brainwashed my unscrupulous individuals and it’s up to Tia and a group of children that are skipping school to start a street gang to save him.

Return from Witch Mountain by Alexander Key

This is listed after the movie because it is basically a movie novelization. You know you have made it when the writer of the original book liked it well enough to write the movie novelization.

Escape to Witch Mountain (1995)

In this version twins with purple light magic beamed down to earth and were separated. They have to be together for their magic to work. It’s a different version to be sure but has many of the same elements. A fun movie.

Race to Witch Mountain (2009)

Tooted as a sequel instead of a remake this movie has alien kids Sara and Seth trying to find their parents’ research while outrunning a terminator/Gort creature sent from their home planet who are not interested in finding a solution to saving their dying planet and the Men in Black. They team up with taxi driver Jack Bruno who acts as their Jason O’Day. I loved this mainly because they weren’t trying to make a remake. 

Mothra (1961)

 

Part of the original Godzilla franchise. Mothra is a gigantic moth that is worshipped on Infant Island. When an expedition goes to Infant Island, two little priestesses (about the size of Thumbelina) are captured by club owner Clark Nelson who then uses them at his club. Mothra then goes on a quest to rescue her priestesses and bring them back home. Unlike some of the other kaiju films, Mothra doesn’t set out to destroy. She’s just going in a straight line to find her priestesses and if you happen to be in her way? Well that’s your problem. Long lauded as the Queen of the Monsters, Mothra is one of my favorite kaijus.

Pacific Rim (2013)

 

From a trench deep in the ocean vicious monsters known as “kaiju”. The only way to deal with them is by the use of giant robots called “jaegers”. The Jaegers are piloted by two humans using a mental link. But the government has decided that the Jaeger program is no longer working and wants to discontinue it. But it is only a ragtag group of Jaeger pilots that is standing between the earth and total annihilation. There is a sequel, but I don’t like it’s premise. As far as I’m concerned, the franchise ends with this movie, which I love.