There’s the nagging hypocrisy of the war in Ukraine. So many around the world support Ukraine’s resistance to foreign occupation (as they should) but blithely deny Palestinians any way to resist their occupation. Even non-violent methods of resistance like the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign is vilified and even criminalized. Why the double standard? Unsurprisingly, such stances go all the way to the top. The Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has twice voiced unilateral support for Israel in recent days, saying that “Israel’s right to self-defense is unquestionable”. Would he say the same for Russia on his territory? Of course not. Zelenskiy ought to see how his invaded and occupied land is more akin to the situation of the Palestinians than the Israelis. The obfuscations are everywhere.

Most doctors say the discomfort is completely harmless, but a few say that young children may increase their chances of becoming nearsighted when they put too much strain on their eyes. They point to studies that have linked high incidences of myopia to cultures that encourage reading and formalized education among their youth. Unfortunately, there is no convenient set of studies that have examined the long-term effects of reading in the dark. So we have to look at studies that looked at different factors and try to piece together the information. Frankly, I was trained as an engineer, and have to struggle even to attempt to peer through the veils of meaning. I’m envious of the students in the Columbia class that David Denby portrays in his 1995 article in the New Yorker, The Trouble with “Heart of Darkness”. I wish I had been guided into this deep way of perceiving literature — or music, or art, or life itself. Book 2 in the Dawn of Fire series, this portrays the next steps in the early stages of the Indomitus Crusade. It takes place on/on the way to Gathalamor, as a mixed force of Imperial soldiery – led by Shield-Captain Achallor of the Custodes – races to keep the vital shrine world from Abaddon’s grip. It’s a bit more of an all-out action story than Avenging Son, but it’s a fun read and it expands the scope of the series even if it’s not exactly a sequel to the first book.At least since the Oslo accords of 1993, we have been sold various promises that the way out of this injustice was negotiated settlements; after generations of enormous human sacrifice, Palestinians would finally achieve their national aspirations. It was already clear to many of us that this had long ago become a necessary illusion maintained by the powerful. Today, a negotiated peace seems farther away than ever. Hail to the King! Not content with being built around a series of cult classic films, The Evil Dead franchise grew over the years and now consists of movies, comics, games, and a TV Series. But, sooner or later, just like the rest of you - and Mr. Kurtz - we have to Face the Face that Kills.

I understand and appreciate that many are going to read this review and think I misread the text, because this book is a classic. I would remind them that no work of literature can be kept free from critique because it has stood the test of time. And beyond that, I do not believe this is at all a surface reading. It’s been pushed in the minds of many that reading this book as racist is a surface-level interpretation, but I genuinely believe that the racism is what you get upon close reading.If you’re a fan of Inquisitor Greyfax, this four-part audio drama is the next step in her story after Eye of Night. It also heavily features Saint Celestine, and has brilliant performances from Katherine Tate (Greyfax) and Emma Gregory (Celestine). I wouldn’t say it was essential to the ongoing story, but it provides a good look at the Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition post-Great Rift. If Persephone has any hope of ending the chaos, she must draw upon her own darkness. Only by harnessing the power at her disposal as Goddess, Wife, and Queen of the Underworld will Persephone be able to save those she loves. Having watched Apocalypse Now doesn’t count — if anything, it ups the ante, since that means you have to think about the similarities and differences (for example, contrast and compare the U.S. involvement in Vietnam with the Belgian rule over the Congo. Actually quite an intriguing and provocative question). In many ways, The Left Hand of Darkness disrupts gender as well as it ever did. But there are some issues, too. Le Guin chooses to use he as a gender-neutral pronoun for the Gethenians, which undercuts the idea that they’re supposed to be neither male nor female. Even when the book was brand new, many feminists complained about this pronoun choice, and Le Guin later wrote that she “couldn’t help but feel that justice was on their side.” In 1975, when Le Guin reprinted a short story that takes place on Gethen called “Winter’s King,” she changed all the pronouns from he to she. But she felt that they was too confusing as a gender-neutral pronoun.