The Last Starfighter by Alan Dean Foster (1984) – BR00297 (R2026) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
Plot or Premise
Alex Rogan, earthling, has been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Kodan Armada.
What I Liked
It’s hard to separate out the novelization from the movie it is based on. The story works great — Alex’s initial life being “less than” what he wants, his accidental recruitment, his balking at fighting in the war (“Save the Whales, but not the universe?”) and his battle testing turning him into a starfighter.
What I Didn’t Like
The book does a rather poor job of Maggie, Centauri, the beta unit, and even Grig. They are all pale imitations of the characters that are in the movie, even with more room to flesh them out. A few key dialogue sequences were obviously edited in the final script as they snap on screen, and the alternate versions feel a bit flat.
The Bottom Line
A slight step down from the movie it’s based on
JotD: Bees flying backwards (PWH00082)
McNally’s Trial by Lawrence Sanders (1995) – BR00296 (R2026) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
Plot or Premise
A funeral home is doing above-average business, shipping a lot of dead bodies from Florida back to their home states. Something doesn’t smell right, so the company’s financial officer asks Archy to look into it.
What I Liked
It is very clear that the officer isn’t telling the whole truth about the source of angst, but Archy and his father think at first it will turn out to be nothing significant. Meanwhile, Binky convinces Archy to train him as a discreet detective, although Binky ends up swinging with some of the suspects, so the discreet part is gone. There is one character in the book, the wife of the CEO, who is dying of cancer and is absolutely delightful in every scene with Archy. She’s written in almost the same terms as Archy’s mom, and the affection shows.
What I Didn’t Like
There is a whole substory with the FBI to help with the investigation problem for other jurisdictions, but it rings false and unnecessary. Even the motive for what is going on seems light for the outcome.
The Bottom Line
Buy a casket, get a mystery for free
Well, I did figure out what the N is for …
I had it all worked out, was going to post some pics post-dental surgery today. Except apparently the universe had other plans for me.
Back in about 2022, when I had a root canal, they used an oral sedative like Diazepam or Triazolam, plus an IV sedation like Propofol. Together, they knocked me OUT. No memory of any of it.
For my cleaning in December, I did the IV only, and I didn’t go very deep. I was fully conscious, no amnesic effect, probably could have driven home. Obviously, not enough for something more serious than cleaning.
So, I arrived today expecting to do the two drugs … and no. Apparently, the rules have changed. I could do oral sedation AND nitrous oxide, OR I could do just the IV. I could not do oral plus IV. They called the dentistry hotline for Ontario, got a “no”, tried to push it but they said that the dentist would have to write to be validated for their interpretation. (The dentist felt he had been doing it for 30y and there was a loophole that you could have oral sedation too for nervous patients.)
Two hours of them arguing amongst themselves later, and I was back home with just a prescription for an antibiotic. If the College or deputy God of dentists say we can do it, we’ll do it. Otherwise, I’ll be on the hunt for a full surgeon with available anesthesia.
I guess N is for no dental stuff today. Stay tuned for the REAL N that I came up with.