The Stepford Wives Conundrum.

I recently watched a film from the 1970s titled "The Stepford Wives." For those who don't know, The Stepford Wives concerns a group of men in a small New England village who decide to replace their human wives with life-like robot replicas. 

Very soon, new technology will enable the creation of robotic human "companions." The question is: will humans eventually prefer the company of machines over fellow people?  

Book Review- "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

"The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson is a fascinating history of late 19th century Chicago as told through the lives of two very different men.

Architect Daniel Burnham was the mastermind behind the highly successful 1893 Worlds Fair while Herman Webster Mudgett AKA H. H. Holmes was one of the worst serial killers in U.S. History.

At the same time as Mr. Burnham was constructing architectural wonders, Mr. Holmes was buiding his monstrous "Castle" in the Chicago suburb of Englewood.  Holmes designed the building to enable him to commit mass murder and dispose of the bodies.

The Devil in the White City is a well-written exploration of the light and very dark forces that have created modern America.

Book Review- "The House Next Door" by Anne Rivers Siddons

"The House Next Door" by Anne Rivers Siddons is a genuinely scary novel of a new house that destroys its' occupants.

Everyone loves the new neighborhood house designed and constructed by a talented young architect, but then tragedy begins to strike everyone that lives in the house.

The first victims are a young couple whose lives are ruined by the house, but they are not the last.

Ms. Siddons is a terrific writer who carefully develops characters and builds suspense. "The House Next Door" is an entertaining  read even for those like myself who do not especially like  the horror genre.

"The Candidate" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

In 2040 Tom Mix ( Tom chose the name himself because he liked old Westerns) became a US Citizen. In 2050, Tom was running for president of the U.S.

The news media had a field day with the story. Some thought it was a joke or a stunt, but Tom was completely serious. Others of his kind had already won low-level offices across the country, so Tom decided there was a chance that he could make it to the top.

Tom ran on a platform of equal rights for all Americans. At first the crowds were small, but eventually people warmed to his message. Tom was so proud to see those of his kind standing next to the humans when he made a speech.

Election day was tough. His opponent had great support among those who wanted to strip basic rights from Tom's people, but before the night was over Tom found out that he had become the first robot president of the United States.

Book Review- "All Over But The Shoutin'" by Rick Bragg

"All Over but the Shoutin' "  is the story of journalist Rick Bragg's  southern family roots. Rick Bragg was born in northeastern Alabama in 1959. His father was a violent drunk who eventually abandoned the family leaving his mother Margaret to raise three young boys alone.

Margaret Bragg worked hard at several different jobs including picking cotton to provide for her children. All Over but the Shoutin' is a loving tribute to a generation of ordinary but heroic people and a way of life that is almost gone.

Book Review- "The Castaway" by Arthur Roth.

The Castaway by Arthur Roth is an exciting but sometimes very grim novel of a young shipwreck survivor in the early  19th century.

After a family dispute, Daniel Ross signs up as a sailor on a ship that hunts seals ( a once common practice). After Daniel's ship hits an ice berg and sinks several of the survivors drift for weeks in a life boat slowly dying from hunger and thirst.

Eventually, only Daniel and another sailor remain alive. The two drift hopelessly until they spot a tiny island. Only Daniel survives as the lifeboat crashes on the shore of the island.

Daniel discovers that the island is mostly barren, although he is able to obtain a food source from seals that visit the island. Daniel uses his ingenuity to survive on the island for five long years until a ship rescues him.

I very much enjoyed reading "The Castaway"  but because of several graphic descriptions of killing animals and at least one murder the book may not be appropriate for young children.

"Fish Story" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

A lot of the guys on the dock had stories about champion fish they had caught in the past, but Riley was the worst of the bunch. According to him, he had caught fish all over the world and on other planets too.

One of Riley's favorite stories was catching giant Catfish on Venus. All the guys got a good laugh at that one. One Saturday at the dock I wasn't having any luck and Riley starts in with his Venus Catfish story and I guess I got a little angry and dared him to take me with him on his next fishing trip to Venus.

I was surprised as hell when Riley agreed to take me. I figured he was setting me up for a practical joke so I played along until I could make my move. We agreed to meet at his house next Saturday and I was there bright and early.

Riley took me to his garage. There was a big, complicated machine in there. Riley called the machine a time-space displacement device or something like that. He said that he could transport himself almost anywhere in the solar system with reasonable accuracy.

Of course, some planets were too cold or poisonous to travel to, but he found that Venus is actually pretty nice.

I stand where Riley tells me and for a few seconds there is nothing but blackness. Suddenly there is a bright light and I am in this place I have never seen before. It's a little warm and there are several large ponds in the area. Riley came along a few minutes later with the gear and we settled down to fishing.

Riley was right about the catfish and they were good eating too. 

"The Roach" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Billy was watching the game when the Cockroach appeared on the top of the TV. After a few minutes, Billy got tired of looking at the roach and found a newspaper. As he approached the TV with the rolled-up newspaper, the insect scurried away.

As Billy sat down to watch the game, the roach once again appeared on top of the TV. Billy shook his head. It was weird how the insect just stood there watching him. 

"What do you want?" Billy said to the creature.  Almost immediately, a complex thought entered his mind. The roach was from another planet.

Billy wasn't sure if the thought was a communication from the roach or his imagination, so he tried again. "How did you get here?" Billy asked aloud. Again a thought entered his mind. He could "see" a sophisticated space vessel of some kind.

"Why are you here?" Billy asked the roach. Billy saw a planet overcrowded with cockroaches. The point of the communication was clear. The roach creatures needed more room and Billy guessed that they were looking at Earth for that very reason.

Over the next few weeks, Billy got used to having to having the roach around and even enjoyed their "conversations", but one day his landlady walked in and smashed the roach with her purse.

Billy would miss the little guy.