Recently published in...Back Issue

When the Dead Heroes Issue was announced by my editor at Back Issue magazine, I knew I had to throw my hat in for Barry "The Flash" Allen, since he's my favorite comic book character of all time. Luckily, the editor liked my pitch. At 6,000 words, the article was quite a chore, but it was a rewarding project, and it was fun to re-read those old comics I enjoyed so much as a teenager.

Back Issue #48 is now on sale at finer comic book shops everywhere.

Classic Home Video Games, 1985-1988

*****


A 5-star review of my second book just popped up on Amazon:

I just purchased this on the kindle. I was very pleased with the savings over the hardcover copy. I wish the hardcover copy was a little cheaper. With that being said, I found this book to be a great reference book for entire video game library of the NES, SMS, and Atari 7800. The descriptions were very informative and I liked the feature of listing the number of players and where else the game was released. The only thing I wished it had was if the author rated each title on a 1-10 scale. You can sort of tell the titles he really likes, but I would love to see how he would actually rate them. Also, as another reviewer noted screenshots would have been a big plus if possible. With that being said, I am looking forward to the author's next book and I might have to pick up the first one to hold me over until then. (Written by cybersp78)

You can view sample pages of the book here:
Sample Pages

Hardcover ordering information here:
Classic Home Video Games, 1985-1988

Kindle version ordering information here:
Amazon Kindle

Good news and bad news...

I had terrible news this week. Two publications I write for--The West Texan News and Living with Panache(both Star-Telegram supplements)--are being canceled. One bit of good news, though, came in the form of an emailed jpeg of the cover to my new book, which will be released this summer (or possibly early fall):

Publisher description of the book:

The third in a series about home video games, this detailed reference work features descriptions and reviews of every official U.S.-released game for the Neo Geo, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16, the three of which, in 1989, ushered in the 16-bit era of gaming. Organized alphabetically by console brand, each chapter includes a description of the game system, followed by substantive entries for every game released for that console. The video game entries include extensive historical information, gameplay details, the author’s critique, and, when appropriate, comparisons to similar games. Appendices list and offer brief descriptions of all the games for the Atari Lynx and Game Boy, and catalogue and describe the add-ons to the consoles cited in this book--Neo Geo CD, Sega CD, Sega 32X and TurboGrafx-CD.

Now Reading... Driving Crazy by Randy D. Pearson

Driving Crazy
Written by Randy D. Pearson, published by Riley Press (http://rileypress.hypermart.net)
$12.99, 261 pgs., 2010

Writing a novel with a narrative that holds together from beginning to end is truly a difficult endeavor. But that’s just what Randy D. Pearson has done with Driving Crazy, a story about two slacker-types who drive from Lansing, Michigan to Weedpatch, California to pick up a Crazy Climber arcade videogame.

Along the way, the two friends—Crazy Climber coveter Jay Naylor and his unemployed ally Austin Ridenour— enjoy an assortment of adventures and encounter a variety of funky folks, all of whom come across as more than a little clichéd. There’s the guy who loses a game of pool and pounds his opponent’s face; the grumpy greasy spoon waitress who exclaims, “Look Mac, this ain’t no fine dinin’ experience”; and the kindly diner owner and his matronly wife who put the boys up for a night with free food and lodging.

Indeed, no one will confuse Pearson’s prose with that of Jack Kerouac (On the Road). For a much fairer comparison, Rob O’Hara’s real-life adventures in his nonfiction work, Invading Spaces: A Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Arcade Games, are amusing without resorting to the type of cheesy humor found in Driving Crazy. Jay and Austin enjoy way too many “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” moments.

Despite its flaws, Driving Crazy is coherent and structurally sound. And, at least for a self-published novel aimed at hardcore gamers, it is fairly entertaining.