Book Description
For the first time ever, a monster collection of 26 new original Kolchak short fiction stories by noted authors from comics, horror fiction, and film! With the advent of the new Kolchak ABC TV show, Moonstone proudly announces new contemporary prose adventures of the original Kolchak, TV's first and foremost paranormal investigator! Plus all kinds of other cool stuff, like tales from Kolchak's untold past, monster huntings, noir thrillers, and even horror stories of more cerebral type!
Customer Reviews:
Don't talk about this...to anyone.......2006-08-25
Chapter 1.
This is the review of one of the only Kolchak books available. You may have heard about it, probably on some web site or the back page of a comic book. However, what exists in this book between pages 1 and 329 is so diverse that the facts are in need of clarification. This will be the last time I'll review this bizarre book. So when you've finished, judge for yourself its worth and try to tell yourself, wherever you might be, would I want to read it here?
January 11, 1972
A young boy, age 8, tired, cranky, and just annoying enough to convince his parents to let him watch a minor made for TV movie called "The Night Stalker." ABC, that night, the boy was on route to his doom.
That boy was me, and even two days later I was still enthralled by one Carl Kolchak and his heroic battle with Janos Skorzeny. Already a fan of horror films (it was a time when Famous Monsters magazine was flying high), I had found a character so compelling, so fascinating, that it resounds in my mind even today. Little did I know then that I had watched a TV movie that went on to become the most watched made for TV movie of all time. As the years went by I equally loved the second movie (even though it wasn't as good) and the TV series. I even recorded the late night CBS showings on cassette tape and listened to them repeatedly. By high school I could recite the opening three scenes of the movie by heart. My brain was doomed to devote a considerable number of grey matter to housing the antics of Mr. Kolchak forever.
August, 2006
While determining what I could add to my Amazon order of an inner tube for my daughters bike in order to get free shipping, I ran across "Kolchak: The Night Stalker Chronicles." I had seen this before, of course (while surfing around the Amazon virtual store), but I was never sure if it was a group of actual stories or just a big comic book (graphic novel). I'm not into comic books so I always deferred on the side of caution. On this occasion it was just the right price to put me at the needed amount for free shipping.
Several days later the package arrived. First stop, the garage to install my daughters new inner tube for her bike. She blew the new tube out in half an hour. Next stop, a sit down to peruse this new book. To my pleasant surprise, it was not a comic book but 300 plus pages of words!
August, Again
I finished the first story and was reminded of a line from Mr. Kolchak himself that seemed to apply to the author of this story; "I got in early and banged out my story before all the other idiots arrived..." After reading this first short story I almost threw the book away. It had little to do with the character of Carl Kolchak and was written in 3rd person of all things! How could anyone write Kolchak in third person? But, I persisted...
Something of a pattern was beginning to form...the stories got better and were much more like Kolchak. Richard Valley's story is the best of the lot but they almost all suffer from a fatal blow; they are short. When the cover says 26 short stories it wasn't kidding. These stories are very short and end up being a let down. The typical Kolchak series episode went something like: introduction, research, fight cops, kill monster. These stories are mostly: introduction, kill monster. I suppose in order to cram as many stories as possible into the book they decided to cut out a major part of each work (much like a Vincenzo editing session). Either that or the authors spent as little time as possible writing their copy.
Item:
Interview with a Vampire has Kolchak meeting Barnabas Collins. The "intro" drolls on for a couple of pages, and then the two meet, talk, and Kolchak leaves. That is the whole story. There isn't even that much conversation that we read about. A few lines and then the author tells us they talked until 2am.
Item:
In almost all the stories Kolchak is portrayed as a celebrity for writing about all those monsters. Fact, In the movies his stories were never published as written. Fact, In most of the episodes he ends by saying something to the effect that the story would never be published. In these stories though they have so there are several where someone comes to Kolchak because of his reputation.
Item:
Taking a cue, I suppose, from the movies Kolchak is a heavy drinker in these stories. Fact, in the series Kolchak, Carl tells a bartender he never drinks while on duty. So, this is a personal choice that I would have rather seen Kolchak drink less in these stories.
So there you have it. All the stories have been bound into a book bought by guess who? I haven't had a decent nights sleep since reading these stories but that may be cause to medical problems rather than anything in the stories. I must warn you, in order to verify these facts you'll have to purchase the book. So, in the quiet of your home and the safety of your bed, just try to tell yourself would I want this book here?
Third continuity/B-Level writing.......2006-08-04
This book represents a third continuity of Kolchak. First is the TV movies-TV series, and then you have the short-lived NuKolchak (2005). This seems to be an unhappy compromise between the two: the 1970's Kolchak is popped down into the 21 Century. The problem is that part of Kolchak-1970 was that he was thirty years behind the times. Putting him and his seersucker and porkpie hat into the '00s decade with digital cameras, Internet and email, makes him sixty years behind the times. This is to jarring, too weird.
The books strength is that it keeps the legend alive for new readers, and serves a dual purpose of converting the uninitiated, and affirming the converted. The down side is that the stories are mediocre. Most of the authors wrote comic strips, so what we are reading is usually a mid- or par-level episode of the series. They are definitely not "glorified fan fiction," but they do have a "pulp mill" feel to them; they are good Saturday afternoon reading, but the stories (except "The Why Of The Matter") never go much beyond that.
Another drawback has to do with the premise itself. Kolchak was a "Monster of the Week" affair with stand-alone stories, as opposed to story-arcs and cohesive and coordinated villains. Consequently the stories are meaninglessly weird. Contrast this with "The Divine Comedy" or "Paradise Lost" where the devil has an intelligently organized opposition, with a command structure, jockeying lieutenants, and a cohesive strategy. Kolchack's boogeymen are just mindless boogeyman.
In this regard, Buffy, X-Files, and NuKolchak (ie X-Files: Los Angeles) had a marked advantage. Of course "The Twilight Zone" was an anthology, but the cohesive principle was Serling's philosophy. Kolchak lacks both.
The last problem is over-saturation. After two-seasons-too-many of the X-files, plus seven of "Buffy" and five of "Angel," plus countless revivals of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits," this genre needs a rest for about a decade. After that, it needs another decade to rethink itself in light of the post-Cold War, post-9/11 world. After all, no eerie TV program can compare to what we see day in/day out on the news.
So the stories themselves:
My favorite story is "The Why Of The Matter," partly because it is optimistic, and it also breaks the stereotype of the run-amok boogeyman.
"Man or Monster", "Genus Loci", and "The Shadow That Shapes The Light" are close to the TV series. In fact the last one, "TSTSTL", I think sets the pattern for what a good Kolchak short storey should be. It includes italicized narrations that mirror the voiceovers that are mock-"Dragnet" and half Sam Spade. Remember that Kolchak is not a reporter, but a detective at heart--and Darren McGavin did play Mike Hammer.
I think "The Abominable Ice Man" is the most transferable into a movie, or a two part series. It needs tweaking to push it over the top, but the essential elements are all there.
"The Shrug of Atlas" left me wondering two things: first, is this Jesus a time traveler? And second, if it is Jesus, why the connection to atheist Ayn Rand? Like I said, there is no cohesion, and therefore not broad application to a reader's life--unlike "The Why of the Matter.". So the art has let us down.
Fans have a dilemma: if we don't buy this book, then Moonstone has no incentive to publish more. However, if we do buy the book, then Moonstone may be tempted to produce more of the same, at the same level of quality. I think that wisdom would dictate that we buy the book: it's not horrid, but they are B-level stories.
stories about one of my favorite characters.......2006-07-05
I enjoyed them all. I would really like to see more of the same, possibly even novels based on the original character, not the insipid updated version.
TERRIFIC ANTHOLOGY.......2006-03-25
What a great collection of Kolchak stories, but a group of talented writers. Most deliver hands, making each story seem like episodes from the old series. The less said about the new one, the better.
I strong recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys good, macabre tales of the supernatural.
Kolchak Book.......2006-03-10
I like this new book of short stories of the continued adventures of Kolchak. The stories are great. They are almost better than the TV series. I also like the number of stories included 26 I believe.
Book Description
What makes a hero? Is it his actions, or is it the results of those actions? Powerless explores what it means to be a hero in very human terms. By re-imagining Marvel's most popular characters without superhuman powers, this story strips down to the core heroes we have all come to know and love. These characters - including Peter Parker, Matt Murdock and Logan - were fated to be heroes. Just because Peter Parker wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider doesn't mean he didn't do battle with a madman named Norman Osborn. Matt Murdock? Blinded, yes - but with no heightened senses. However, he did become a legal champion of the poor in Hell's Kitchen, and he did cross paths with Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. And Logan is, of course, the enigmatic - and amnesiac - drifter on the run from his past.
Customer Reviews:
What makes a hero? .......2007-09-26
Is it his actions, or is it the results of his actions. Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson figured this one out. It's not the powers of the characters of the Marvel Universe that we have been following for all of these years but actually the characters and the deep story lines on who they become. Cherniss and Johnson weave an intricate story on who Peter Parker really is and not some glorified science nerd. Even the words of Uncle Ben still ring in his ears, "With great power, comes great responsibility". Then the duo continues on to Matt Murdock who is only trying to take care of Hell's Kitchen and does what's right in his life. They still show the uphill battle that the blind lawyer must face and protect the innocent. Once again we find Logan trying to figure out his past and who he is, and I think they show the truth strength of the character Wolverine as a man and not some savage beast. With a wonderful ending I would recommend for any fan who enjoys reading up on these characters in the Marvel Universe and wonders themselves is it the characters that they love or the powers that they hold.
True Heroics.......2006-05-01
I've always contended that it is the heart and not the superpowers that makes a hero. This belief is the core of Powerless. Each of the characters keeps his innate being and ultimately triumphs, though at varying costs. Classic scenes from Marvel history, like Normon Osborne trying to kill Gwen Stacy, happen in this powerless universe, but with breathtaking results. You will believe our world can have heroes after reading this.
A World Without Heroes.......2006-03-27
Powerless is a Marvel book that takes the idea of Marvel Heroes of Spiderman, Daredevil and Wolverine to another level.
Reprinting the six issue mini series Powerless, writers Matt Cherniss and Peter Johnson redefines the Marvel Super Heroes without super powers. Told through the viewpoint of phchiatrist Mr Watts who observers these three as a Watcher.
In the text, you will notice other heroes and villians of the Marvel Universe without costumes nor trappings.
An interest piece to read for those adults with a brain to think outside the box
Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD
A beautiful story that shows the essense of a hero.......2005-03-16
When first hearing about this book, I was curious to see how the characters of Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, and Logan were portrayed. I was splendedly surprised at not only the structure of the characters, but also the amazing plot line, eg. Logan's amnesia similar to the Manchurian Candidate.
The story is told from the point of view from a psycologist who has just awoken from a coma. It that state he has had fantastical dreams of the Marvel world. Once awake he meets our heroes as well as other individuals, Dr. Strange, Frank Castle, Tony Stark, Charles Xavier, Mystique, Victor Creed, Eric Lansher, and even Bruce Banner who is held at Rikers Island for intense rage outbursts. Throughout the book the three storylines connect through him.
The story ends with the three heroes triumohing at the end, but at certain prices. The book illustrates very well what it is to be a hero in the real world.
I have always loved these characters, not only for their amazing abilities, or brilliance, or even the terrific storylines, but for the true hero that they were inside, their innermost convictions, and their human character. In reading this book I have seen these characters be heroes in a very real sense, and I feel that others will, as I have, be able to apreciate their characters even more.
Book Description
Back by popular demand! Our second anthology featuring original Star Trek†, Star Trek: The Next Generation†, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine†, and Star Trek: Voyager† stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans!
Our first Strange New Worlds competition drew thousands of submissions and Strange New Worlds II drew even more. From this mountain of astounding stories, these few, written exclusively by brand-new authors, were selected for their originality and style,
These tales rocket across the length and breadth of Federation time and space, from when Captain Kirk explored the galaxy on the first Starship Enterprise™, through Captain Picard 's U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D and from Captain Sisko's Deep Space Nine to Captain Janeway's Starship Voyager™, with many fascinating stops along the way.
Find out what happens in the Star Trek universe when fans -- like you -- take the helm!
Download Description
Back by popular demand! Our second anthology featuring original Star Trek "RM," Star Treak: The Next Generation "RM," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine "RM," and Star Trek: Voyager "RM" stories written by Star Trek fans, for Star Trek fans! Our first Strange New Worlds competition drew thousands of submissions and Strange New Worlds II drew even more. From this mountain of astounding stories, these few, written exclusively by brand-new authors, were selected for their originality and style. These tales rocket across the length and breadth of Federation time and space, from when Captain Kirk explored the galaxy on the first Starship Enterprise "TM" through Captain Picard's U.S.S. Enterprise "TM" 1701-D and from Captain Sisko's Deep Space Nine "TM" to Captain Janeway's Starship Voyager "TM", with many fascinating stops along the way. Find out what happens in the Star Trek universe when fans -- like you -- take the helm!
Customer Reviews:
3.4705882352941176470588235294118.......2003-06-20
It's hard to rate an anthology. My approach is to rate each individual story. I came out with a ranking of 3.4705882352941176470588235294118. But I find humans have trouble with too much precision, so I'll round it to 3.
Some of the stories are less than equal, as you find in any anthology. I'm not quite sure why Ribbon for Rosie, the story of 7 of 9's trip to the past, won the grand prize. It doesn't seem as we well written, but perhaps because it suffers from now being outside of canon because of STV episodes after `99, when the book was written. Similarly, the DS9 episodes are both pretty thick and difficult to get into- which is a shame, since DS9 has a lot of promise, such as stories about the completely unexplored Gamma quadrant, that was never explored in the series. And while it was nice to see Dr. Taylor again from TVH, the TOS episodes start the book off a bit slow. And Calculated Risk reminds me why Dr. Pulaski left the series, and why there aren't more stories about her.
But on the very positive side, I Am Klingon finally provides a possible answer to that nagging question- where did those foreheads come from? Rand even does am amazing job of tying in all the various episodes that have skirted around this issue, in TOS, TNG, and DS9, as well as providing one answer to what actually happened between Deanna and Worf. One story finally gets to that nagging question- if Wesley was studying with the Traveler in a Native American colony under the Cardassians, doesn't he then become a technical member of the Dominion, and if so, why isn't he helping in the war against the Dominion? And two excellent time travel stories get to some of those questions of, if there is a Department of Temporal Investigations, fixing temporal incursions, how come there are still temporal incursions that have never been fixed? Though the book as a whole isn't as highly rated, I'd definitely recommend it for these hints at possible paradoxi with Star Trek.
And then there are the stories that touched me emotionally. I Am Become Death is a haunting look at Data's life, pre-STN- one with that added twist that can make you cry. I personally very appreciated two STV stories: Touched, for it's etic anthropological look from the perspective of the other, and The Healing Arts, for stressing the importance of empathy, and interpathy, in healing. Reciprocity is TNG story about *very* long wormholes, that is filled with poignancy and a feeling that, truly, All Good Things...
Strange New Worlds II - Replete with great Trek stories!.......2003-05-04
Taken as a whole this anthology; second in the Strange New Worlds series stands out miles ahead of its predecessor of a year earlier. The majority of the stories by these non professional authors are extremely captivating and a few of them are quite compelling Star Trek short stories. If you had misgivings or second thoughts about reading these particular anthologies, I recommend you rethink that as each and every story is worth your time. The only downside to this and its predecessor in my opinion is that both contain only two Deep Space Nine stories. This is an oversight as DS9 is a very rich environment that could be explored more thoroughly!
Star Trek
Triptych [Second Prize] by Melissa Dickinson**** - This is an interesting tale about the many outcomes from the TOS episode "The City on the Edge of Forever," in which the question is asked, what if this happened or didn't happened.
The Quick and the Dead by Kathy Oltion ***** - This is a great tale about Kirk and crew taking a landing party down on a planet where everything on the planet is seemingly moving at light speed.
The First Law of Metaphysics by Michael S. Poteet **** - This is a surprisingly well written story about Spock and Saavik's first meeting several years after what happened on the Genesis planet.
The Hero of My Own Life by Peg Robinson ***** - This is an extremely well written tale about a meeting through scientific research of Gillian Taylor from Star Trek IV and Dr. Carol Marcus from Star Trek II.
Doctors Three by Charles Skaggs ***** - This is a beautiful and quite poignant story about Admiral Leonard McCoy circa the 24th century and his desire to meet with Dr. Zimmerman as he's in the process of creating and perfecting the Emergency Medical Hologram program of Star Trek Voyager fame.
Star Trek The Next Generation
I Am Klingon [Third Prize] by Ken Rand ***** - This particular fan fictionist knows his Klingons well and in this story he has written a very plausible explanation of the difference between Klingons of the TOS era and that of the TNG era.
Reciprocity by Brad Curry ***** - This by far is the best story of this particular anthology. The author fluidly takes us to a time some four billion years in the past and tells a short story about the firstborn ones.
Calculated Risk by Christina F. York **** - This is a somewhat interesting tale about the rarely used character of Dr. Pulaski of STNG second season fame.
Gods, Fate, and Fractals by William Liesner ***** - This is another of the better stories of this anthology. The author reintroduces us to agents Dulmer and Lucsley from Starfleet's Department of Temporal Investigations. Presented here is an extremely interesting story about the creation or lack of creation of the Maquis.
I Am Become Death by Franklin Thatcher ***** - This author created here an especially intriguing tale of Data in the far distant future and his altered perspective on how things should come about.
Deep Space Nine
Research by J. R. Rasmussen *** - This is extraordinarily short, short tale is intriguing at best, from the humor standpoint.
Change of Heart by Steven Scott Ripley ***** - This is another of the extraordinarily well written stories of this anthology. The author here has perfectly captured the perceived personality of a "Changeling" who's found her self in a particular situation she doesn't care to be in.
Star Trek Voyager
A Ribbon for Rosie [Grand Prize] by Ilsa J. Bick ***** - It is of wonder that this author won the Grand Prize based on this outstanding tale about Seven of Nine making an unheard of trip into the past.
Touched by Kim Shear **** - This is an interesting tale about two Voyager crew members forced to land on the planet of a non warp species and their chance meeting with one of its inhabitants.
Almost...But Not Quite by Dayton Ward ***** - This is another of the finest stories of this anthology. This author has a fluid and deft style of writing that is captivating and compelling. Capitalizing on Starfleet's Department of Temporal Investigations and agents Lucsley and Dulmer, the author deftly integrates them into the fold when Voyager ended up in orbit of Earth in the year 1996. It is no small wonder why this author has moved on to writing professionally!
The Healing Arts by E. Cristy Ruteshouser & Lynda Martinez Foley ***** - These two fine authors present here an exceptional story of a medical crisis and the Doctor's solution.
Seventh Heaven by Dustan Moon ***** - This is a beautiful story about Seven of Nine and a surprise visit by another well known Borg who had earlier regained his individuality. The author captured Seven of Nine's personality perfectly! {ssintrepid}
ST: Strange New Worlds II.......2002-04-16
This is the second installment of Strange New Worlds an anthology of short stories written by the fans of Trek.
These tales were selected from thousands that were submitted. The 17 stories that are contained within these pages are fascinating stories and give us a little voyage and adventure into the fans prespective of TREK and to tell you the truth, some of these stories are better than the established authors have been writing to that point in time.
The genre are TOS, STNG, DS-9, and ST-Voyager which covers the Trek Universe from one end to the other. Interesting stories brought to us from the fans of TREK, now, the readers win again.
Thatcher's story about Data far in the future is fascinating.......2000-08-13
After winning 2nd place in the first volume of Strange New Worlds, Thatcher is back with another story about an artificial intelligence. Different in every way from "Of Cabbages and Kings", Thatcher's volume 2 story, "I Am Become Death" is about Data, one of the popular artificial beings in all of science fiction.
This is a very short story, and to say too much about the plot would give things away and lessen the impact of a very original, stunning story. The story contains prominent references to much of Data's family tree, including Data' creator Soong, his brother Lore, "daughter" Lal, his wife, and other "descendants." For the most part, these characters are referred to in the past tense, as most of them have long since died or been destroyed. Some of these relations will be unfamiliar to even the most ardent Star Trek fan, because they haven't happened yet: This story takes place thousands of year in the future.
One of the highlights of this story, in fact, is glimpses it offers into what life may be like for this never-aging android who seeks to become human as he continues to live for many centuries. Thatcher masterfully conveys Data's soulfull moodiness, borne of his own exhaustive experience with the inevitable death of beloved mortal friends, and even of whole races. The galaxy we briefly see thousands of years in the future is in some ways dark, but believable, and very fascinating. But what is most memorable about "I Am Become Death" are the actions Data takes to change things and atone for the far-reaching legacy of himself and his "family."
The publication of "I Am Become Death" disqualifies Thatcher from future competition in the "Strange New Worlds" contest, but Thatcher is said to be working now on a novel and I'm eager to read whatever he writes next.
So What Went Wrong !.......2000-07-18
I really enjoyed the first volume in this series of fan written stories, but am now asking myself what went wrong with volume II ! Gone is much of the excitement, gone are the engrossing characters, and almost gone are the "Strange New Worlds". Instead the bulk of stories in this volume are the kind of insipid, weak, soap opera drivel, that has turned many fans away from Star Trek over the years. I realise that a certain percentage of the market buy into that but I don't accept that it is the majority. If things continue down this road the stories are likely to begin with : "Like tribbles through a transporter beam ... so are the days of our lives ! "
Book Description
Mankind had reached a threshold in the forth decade of the twentieth century. There were unprecedented scientific and technological achievements, but despite such progress, humanity was entering one of its darkest chapters. World War II would grip the world with terror for six years. During that time military personnel reported seeing numerous highly unconventional aircraft in all theaters of operation. These objects had extraordinary flight performance capabilities, came in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and were able to travel at extraordinary speeds and avoid radar detection. "Strange Company" is the first in-depth account of unconventional aircraft observed and reported by the military during World War II. It includes the reactions by military commands, their viewpoints, and theories as they struggled to make sense of the observations. Strange Company presents one of the greatest wartime mysteries, one that has been shrouded in ignorance for more than sixty years. And it suggests that while an immense twentieth century war was raging on Earth, there appeared to be someone, or something, from somewhere else, watching us.
Customer Reviews:
WWII UFO's.......2007-09-17
Strange Company is a down-to-Earth view of strange sightings of UFO's in World War II before the idea of flying saucers from other worlds were imbedded in our collective conciousness. It is very well researched and well-written.
Where there's foo...there's....there's....what?.......2007-08-27
Sadly, the subject of post-1947 UFO sightings has become so corrupted by shoddy research, gullible believers, and (most importantly) pop cultural overlay. Thus, pre-1947 sightings are interesting from the standpoint that they are "purer" in terms of anecdotal evidence, even if they are harder to research.
"Foo fighters"--mysterious unexplained aerial phenomena that appeared to or shadowed aircraft in World War II certainly existed. There are too many sighting reports from competent pilots and aircrew to suggest otherwise. But what were they?
Author Keith Chester rightly points out that the subject is almost always a footnote in other UFO books. The subject was ripe for a serious study. So I commend Mr. Chester for his attempt. Sadly, his account falls short on several grounds.
Chester starts out with the accounts of mystery airplanes in Scandinavia in the 1930s as a sort of prologue. Ironically, these sightings are often the footnote to the footnote mentioned above. His discussion of World War Two proper begins with the "Battle of Los Angeles" in February 1942 where unexplained lights or aircraft triggered American anti-aircraft artillery in Southern California. This episode does have a public paper trail--including conflicting explanations from the Army and Navy--in the governmental archives and surely bears serious investigation in its own right. But Chester moves on to the bulk of his account which are mainly US Army Air Forces and Royal Air Force sighting reports.
The accounts of balls of lights or cigar shaped objects one after another certainly make the case that the phenomenon was widespread but I began looking at Chester's footnotes to see where the sightings came from. If the source was a US military document found in Chester's research at the National Archives or a RAF/Ministry of Defence document I tended to give the sighting credence. If the source was from another UFO book such as that of Timothy Good's Above Top Secret, I tended to dismiss it. My reasoning will upset "UFOlogists" but UFO writers far too often are slipshod in their accuracy or research.
Throughout his account, Chester tries to link prominent American civilian scientists like Howard P. Robertson and David Griggs to some sort of far more extensive covert foo fighter investigation. But there is no overt paper trail or definite proof of this. You cannot make an argument over and over again with words like "certainly" and "likely" when it is just as possible that these individuals did not involve themselves with foo fighters.
From the public record, what we do know is that various RAF and USAAF commands and groups made their own investigations of sightings but apart from accounting them to flak or secret Luftwaffe projects, they could come to no definite conclusion. As for the American civilians, only Robertson and Griggs are known to have been officially charged to look into foo fighters and only Griggs has commented publicly on the negative results of his investigation.
From the sighting reports themselves, it is obvious that some number were of enemy flak, enemy aircraft, and misidentified meteorological or astronomical events. Even Chester has to admit this late in his account. Some almost certainly came from war stress and fatigue. In particular, World War Two bombers were not the most comfortable aircraft to fly in. Having flown in a B-24 in the waist gunner position with the open airstream pounding at me, I know how uncomfortable such a long flight in the heart of Nazi Germany must have been. Several hours of that would have totally dulled my senses.
Chester's brief description of "radar ghosts" in the Pacific almost certainly were the result of atmospheric an environmental effects on the primitive radar systems of the time which were not known. I totally dismissed these accounts out of hand.
In addition, when you strip away the interviews and unsourced accounts that Chester got from other UFO books, you are left with just a few major flaps after the Los Angeles incident. These include balls of fire seen by one particular night fighter group in Central Europe and multi-colored circular lights seen by Pacific B-29 crews. This is not to say that foo fighters were not seen worldwide, but they were repeately appeared to multiple witnesses only in a few locations.
The fact that the USAAF night fighter squadrons saw strange objects in an area known to be the site of Nazi secret testing is certainly curious and of course, formed the basis for Nick Cook's Hunt for Zero Point hypothesis of Nazi and later US antigravity testing.
But Chester admits late on in the book that believer in the extraterrestrial hypothesis for the origin of foo fighters. Because UFOs are such a diverse phenomena, I believe it is dangerous to account for all or most sightings to one explanation. As fantastic as Cook's hypothesis is, it no more or less believable that extraterrestrial craft visiting Earth to monitor the war.
To digress for a moment, if extraterrestrials were visiting Earth surely would they not want to conceal their observations? Though their craft apparently had stealth capabilities, those at night that lit up surely revealed their presence. By flying in formation with human aircraft, they surely knew they would be spotted. To what purpose? Why not make contact with humanity at this point?
Many foo fighter sightings that Chester writes about sound much like the still unknown atmospheric plasmas that the British Ministry of Defence recently declared UFOs to be. Of course, explaining one unknown with another is not the most satisfying bit of science.
While I believe Mr. Chester is more honest than most UFO writers, the subject of foo fighters still needs more research to come to a conclusion. I will give Mr. Chester credit in his observation that it is curious that no documents as yet released reveal the results of David Griggs' investigations. But if such records exist, it is yet more proof fo what most already assume: that the US Government has not told the public all that it knows on the subject. But what it "knows" is still debatable. The government might be just as confused as the rest of us.
Thus, Keith Chester starts out much like the S-2 intelligence officers of the day who looked into foo fighters--interested and intrigued but ultimately unable to prove conclusively just what foo fighters were.
C. Husing
former Historian, US Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center
Strange Company.......2007-07-03
Keith Chester's book concerns anomalous aerial phenomena sighted by allied and enemy pilots during World War II in Europe and the Far East. It is a must read for UFOlogists and the general public will find it of great interest. Keith spent years digging out hard data for the book and keeping me informed of his progress along the way. It is well documented and very revealing about PRE-1947 UFO sightings and government reaction and confusion about them.
Raymond E. Fowler
MUFON Director of Investigations Emeritus
UFO Researcher and Author
Average customer rating:
- Tried Two Recipes, Very Displeased
- Accuracy In Advertising
- Sushi? Won-tons? Pad Thai? Meatless?!!
|
Vegetarian Times Low-Fat & Fast Asian
Editors of Vegetarian Times
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Baking
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Quick & Easy
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Asian
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Vegetables & Vegetarian
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Natural Foods
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Low-Fat Diet
| Special Conditions
| Diets & Weight Loss
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Vegetarian Times Low-Fat & Fast: 150 Easy Meatless Recipes (Vegetarian Times , No 1)
-
Vegetarian Times Low-Fat & Fast Mexican
-
Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook
-
Vegetarian Times Cooks Mediterranean: More Than 250 Recipes For Pizzas, Pastas, Grains, Beans, Salads, And More
-
Vegetarian Times Low-Fat & Fast Pasta
Accessories:
-
Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor
ASIN: 0028619838 |
Book Description
The next book in the series of Low-Fat & Fast cookbooks from the editors of Vegetarian Times magazine is Vegetarian Times Low-Fat & Fast Asian. Asian cuisine is more popular than ever with stir-fries, noodle shops, Thai food, and sushi bars. But as several studies have shown, Chinese food is high in fat. With Vegetarian Times Low-Fat & Fast Asian, Asian food lovers can have their favorite dishes without the fat. Low-Fat & Fast Asian will be the first cookbook of its kind -- a collection of all meatless Asian dishes. As with other books in this series, every dish will be easy enough to prepare in 20 to 30 minutes and will include a complete nutritional breakdown. Our on-going series with Vegetarian Times magazine includes Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook, Vegetarian Times Beginner's Guide, and Vegetarian Times Vegetarian Entertaining.
Customer Reviews:
Tried Two Recipes, Very Displeased.......2006-03-01
I gave this book 2 stars only because I have two recipes to go on and I should try a few more, but, that being said, I normally can finish a mediocre meal if it contains vegetables and benefits my health. I could not finish the two recipes I made and am very disappointed. If I do try another recipe in this book, I'll come back and review again, but as of right now, I would not recommend this book.
Accuracy In Advertising.......2001-08-01
The title of this book says it all-- the recipes are healthy and rapidly made. They sample a variety of Asian cuisines and, although not always culturally accurate, they do a good job of allowing for fresher, better seasoned, and healthier dinners than the majority of take-out places in the U.S. provide. A good version of Tom Yum soup is included, as are Spicy Potatoes and a tasty concoction called Shanghai Noodles. Some of the preparation times may be a bit optimistic, dependent on your chopping and mincing speeds, but the majority of dishes can be quickly assembled. They will be quickly eaten.
Sushi? Won-tons? Pad Thai? Meatless?!!.......2000-09-16
Yes, believe it or not, you will find over a 150 staples of Asian cuisine in this easy-to-follow, simple cookbook--all vegetarian. Malaysian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Phillipino dishes are scattered throughout this cookbook with a helpful glossary of ingredients. While I have not personally tried every recipe, I am now a veteran of over a dozen sushi, won-ton, and eggroll excursions. If you are like me--constantly on-the go, a lover of variety, and careful about what you eat--you will love this simple cookbook.
Books:
- L.A. Requiem
- Lullaby Town
- Malpractice in Maggody: An Arly Hanks Mystery (Arly Hanks Mysteries)
- Midnight Come Again (A Kate Shugak Novel)
- Mind Prey
- Mortal Prey
- Mortal Stakes
- Mr. Perfect
- Murder at Five Finger Light: A Jessie Arnold Mystery
- Murder of a Smart Cookie (Scumble River Mysteries, Book 7)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- A Line in the Sand: the Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence, Gonzales, Texas 1836
- Tropical Rain Forest
- The Genius in the Design : Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome
- The Dynamics of Hired Farm Labour: Constraints and Community Responses
- The Feminine Mystique
- The Standard & Poor's Guide to Measuring and Managing Credit Risk
- The Runaway Quilt: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel
- Igualada Cemetery: Eric Miralles and Carme Pinos Architecture in Detail
- The de Young in the 21st Century: A Museum by Herzog & de Meuron
- It's Me Again: Volume Three of the Bandy Papers
Kolchak The Night Stalker Volume 1
Kolchak: The Night Stalker Casebook
Kolchak The Night Stalker: Terror Within (Kolchak the Nightstalker)
Kolchak - The Night Stalker
The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler (Double Feature)
