Category: Reviews

The Vance Integral Edition: A (New) Review

The Vance Integral Edition: A (New) Review

| February 8, 2019 | Reply

Back in 2006, I started what was intended to be a review of all 44 volumes of the Vance Integral Edition. I didn’t get beyond my introductory post, which I have largely reproduced below, with some updates. Over the past year, I have re-read (for the third time, now) all 44 volumes, and I intended […]

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“Ender’s Game” (the movie): a brief review w/spoilers

“Ender’s Game” (the movie): a brief review w/spoilers

| November 1, 2013 | 1 Reply

I read the original “Ender’s Game” short story when it was published in Analog (August 1977). I was startled, because I knew the author, Orson Scott Card, slightly. He and I attended Brigham Young University at roughly the same time (he was a year ahead of me), I had met him a few times, and […]

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“Dishonored DLC: The Knife of Dunwall” — a brief review w/spoilers

“Dishonored DLC: The Knife of Dunwall” — a brief review w/spoilers

| April 21, 2013 | Reply

“Dishonored” (2012) is one of my favorite games in quite some time. I haven’t put as many hours into it as I have into, say, “Endless Space” or “XCOM: Enemy Unknown”, but it has a moral resonance, stealth flavor, and a multipath openness that’s refreshing, particularly when compared to “Tomb Raider” (2013). I’ve played the […]

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Tomb Raider 2003: A no-longer-brief (and now final) review w/spoilers [UPDATED]

Tomb Raider 2003: A no-longer-brief (and now final) review w/spoilers [UPDATED]

| March 6, 2013 | Reply

[UPDATED AND REVISED 03/08/13 1423 MST] I completed Tomb Raider last night; while I did use walkthroughs for a few segments (without shame, I might add), I mostly did it on my own. Total playing time was a bit over 20 hours. Even though — as I note below — there are some aspects to […]

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<i>Endless Space</i> from Amplitude Studios — a review

Endless Space from Amplitude Studios — a review

| July 6, 2012 | Reply

[Since this page gets landed on a lot, I should note that Endless Space was not only released shortly after this review was written, but has had quite a few upgrades since then, as well as at least one expansion pack. I still highly recommend it.] I have been playing computer games off and on […]

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New series at bfwa.com: “Readings in Software Engineering”

New series at bfwa.com: “Readings in Software Engineering”

| May 21, 2012 | Reply

Over at bfwa.com, I’ve started a new series of posts that will present brief reviews of and excerpts from my library of software engineering and IT project management texts. Here’s the introduction to the series; and here’s the first post, covering Jerry Weinberg’s The Psychology of Computer Programming.  ..bruce..

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“The Avengers” (2012): a brief review, w/spoilers

“The Avengers” (2012): a brief review, w/spoilers

| May 5, 2012 | Reply

Great movies that hit their target are hard to review, and Joss Whedon pretty much smacked this puppy out of the park. He made a 2:23 ensemble superhero movie that never lags and that doesn’t shortchange any of the characters. The real telling sign: my sweet wife, who is more tolerant of than eager about […]

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“The Hunger Games”: a brief review w/spoilers

“The Hunger Games”: a brief review w/spoilers

| March 23, 2012 | Reply

My sweet wife and I went to see “The Hunger Games” today. I’ve read all three novels and enjoyed them — they are a cut above the usual Young Adult novels and are a bit dark and unrelenting. The release buzz for the film itself was very positive, so I was interested to see just […]

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“John Carter”: a brief review, with spoilers

“John Carter”: a brief review, with spoilers

| March 10, 2012 | 3 Replies

I first read “A Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs early in high school, over 40 years ago. I loved the novel and enjoyed the ten (yes, ten) that followed, though none were quite as good or as wildly romantic. So I’ve followed with interest over the past several years the various attempts to […]

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“Act of Valor”: a brief review, w/spoilers

“Act of Valor”: a brief review, w/spoilers

| February 25, 2012 | Reply

[Originally posted over at Ace of Spades] Those who “abjure” violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf. — George Orwell, Notes on Nationalism This film has gotten a fair amount of ‘net publicity — though probably not nearly enough regular marketing — because of its fundamental concept: film a […]

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