Author Archives: Darrick Dean

Voices from the Past

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Darrick Dean

When most people hear “biography” they think of a boring recounting of some long-dead person’s life. The best biographers, however, bring these ghosts alive and allow you to travel to another time.

Think about it. You know Albert Einstein revolutionized physics. You may know a few of his quotes, have seen an iconic photo or two. When it comes down to it, this is a very one-dimensional knowledge of a person. You really don’t know him and what would drive the achievements that would cause history to memorialize him out of millions of others.

The audio courses Albert Einstein: Physicist, Philosopher, Humanitarian and Churchill will flesh out two iconic 20th Century figures that will leave you with a sense that they were contemporaries. You will no longer wonder why they are remembered. They will also become very human, not near-mythical super-people haunting a history textbook.

Biographies will also paint you a picture of a past era. History is best seen through studying the people that lived it, not memorizing dates, places and names. In the book Boone, you not only meet one of early America’s most fascinating people, but you will be immersed in the lost wild frontier that is hard for anyone to now imagine. Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War brings us back to an era that may seem distant, but then you realize many still live who overlapped in time with this man.

If you ever wished to time travel, biographies such as these are all you need.

Categories: Books, History | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

History Unshackled

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Darrick Dean

Some people are under the impression that studying history is dull or of no interest. Maybe we can blame the way it’s presented in education: Quick, little bites that don’t get into the personalities, the drama and the earth-changing events. Don’t get me wrong, I had some history teachers that knew their stuff and were great at teaching, but they were always limited by time.

Education shouldn’t end at graduation. That’s a mistake most people make. It’s a mistake that can be overcome. Many authors are gifted with research and telling history that is every bit has exciting as a novel or film.

If Pilgrims arriving on the Mayflower and having the first Thanksgiving is about the extent of your backgrounder on the subject, Nathaniel Philbrick’s Mayflower will unveil a far more exciting and nation-shaping series of events. Similarly, after reading his The Last Stand, the Indian Wars and Custer will never be quite the same. Some parts of history don’t always end well, but we must learn from them just like any other.

If you ever wondered why so much focus has been put on a single battle like Gettysburg, Noah Andre Trudeau’s Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, told largely through the eyes of those who fought, will show how war reveals the best, and worst, of men.

Everyone thinks of the Cuban Missile Crisis as the close call of the Cold War, but we were at the brink far more times than that. Books like 15 Minutes and The Dead Hand detail the frightening world that few knew existed.

So start stockpiling some books before winter sets in and prepare to fascinated, amazed and shocked. You’ll wonder why you ever stopped learning or thought it dull or unnecessary.

You are in charge of your education. That education didn’t stop years ago. It only barely had begun.

Categories: Books, History, Modern History, Native Americans | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is There Anyone Left that Believes the ‘Lone Nut’ Theory?

Posted on September 21, 2013 by Darrick Dean

The depth students get exposed to concerning the JFK assassination usually amounts to answering, “Which presidents were assassinated?” So not surprisingly, the “lone nut” verdict of Oswald killing JFK, and all other theories being labeled crockpot, is the conclusion many people unquestioningly believe. At first, that is. Usually the light starts to turn on like this:

“Guy kills Kennedy. Guy who kills Kennedy, quickly killed by another guy. This guy, in turn, doesn’t live much longer. Very convenient.” And it gets better, even with superficial review. “Magic” bullets that show no evidence of passing through anything. Endless contrary evidence to the “lone nut” theory ignored.

Since the beginning, researchers have been perplexed at the Warren Commission’s incompetence. That, though, is only one of three options.

The second is that they part of the conspiracy itself. This is unlikely as abject incompetence. The third, and most likely, is they were covering up the truth they felt would have led to far worse problems. If paths led back to the KGB, war. If an inside job, the people would have tore down Washington block by block. In either case, they reasoned, why not maintain the illusion of government innocence and caring for a few more decades?

Jerome Corsi’s new book Who Really Killed Kennedy? is the latest attempt to collate and unpack the bits of truth concerning the JFK murder. In a time when trust in government is at an all-time low, this book shows that the problem didn’t start yesterday. It’s a creeping menace that began decades ago. It didn’t even begin with JFK, but JFK’s death set the bar high for what those in power could get away with. Whether you’re new to JFK lore, or neck deep in it, Corsi’s book is one of those you can’t put down until the last page is turned.

And Corsi’s book, in a way, is one of warning and caution, not unlike some of the fiction books discussed here. But are decades of cover-up still needed? Was it ever? The players are all gone. Let us learn from history. Truths, as ugly as they may be, really do set us free in the final analysis. Lies, regardless of their initial justification, never live forever.

Nor should they.

Categories: Books, Critical Thinking, Modern History | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Fall is Coming

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Darrick Dean

From Shift: Fall is coming.

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Be an Artist

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Darrick Dean

Be an Artist.

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Thrilling the Reader with Real Life

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Darrick Dean

Why are Thrillers named such? That’s largely up to the talent of the writer. They have to grab us and not let go for hundreds of pages. The best of them draw many details from the real world. Even in all the action and far-from-our-own-life-as-possible events happening to the characters, it’s those truths that hook you even further. They draw you in, get you thinking or upset you.

Tom Clancy is known for coming up with details in his techno-thrillers that seem almost too real. Sometimes prophetically so. They have even caught the attention of the military, wondering how he predicted events like terrorists using planes as weapons prior to 9/11. I guess the government doesn’t have all the smart people.

In Robert Bidinotto‘s Hunter draws from the author’s background in researching the criminal justice system. Amongst the action and spycraft it gives readers something to think about. Namely, problems in the justice system that few want to address.

Glenn Beck’s Overton Window takes events from recent history and weaves them into a fictional, yet troubling tale of what our nation could become. Politicos out there will be surprised that it is a story about all in power. It’s hard to tell politicians apart anymore, and perhaps the most insidious part of it all, much of what they do is out there in plain sight.

In The Constantine Codex, author Paul Maier, continues the current fascination with religious-thrillers. Lost scrolls, hidden secrets, haven’t we had enough? Except here we have Maier, a professor of ancient history, infuse his book with real history — nonetheless provocative to some — not the spurious pseudo-histories many authors draw on.

Many authors are talented at making their stories seem real. They have to be, because they are full of impossible situations, especially when you get into genres like fantasy and sci-fi. Those, however, who weave fact in their fiction, are those who best understand the craft of writing.

It entertains. It teaches. It provokes.

Categories: Books, Fiction | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bypass the Publisher or is Self-Publishing a “Cop-Out?”

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Darrick Dean

Here’s two perspectives from authors whose books I have enjoyed:

“So, You Think You Need a Publisher…” by Robert Bidinotto and “Self-publishing as ‘Principled’ Cop-out” by Mike Duran. I plan on commenting on this topic myself here shortly, but I thought I get the ball rolling. Have fun.

Categories: Books, Writing | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Indie Film Fest

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Darrick Dean

I usually don’t talk much about films here, but they are written by someone. I like the big budget spectacles as much as anyone. They utilize the big screen format for all it’s worth. Yet, there are plenty of smaller-scale, limited release films that deserve viewing. Many are lower budget, but don’t look that way (thanks to technology being in the reach of just about anyone). So here’s my first selection of interesting films you may not have heard about. I’m not saying these are all Oscar winners or something that will change your life. They all, however, have managed to do one thing or another just a little different, or better, than what you may be used to.

In Another Earth, a second Earth appears in the sky. A complete duplicate, it’s implications for those on the first Earth are life-changing. Upside Down is in a similar vein, but here is a classic tale of forbidden love between two separated by class, but now also worlds, in what is a visual feast.

An Invisible Sign and Robot & Frank are both stories of families with histories and problems and how it shapes the children that come from them. See how they grow and overcome. Just a bit off-center, but are we any different?

The Debt is not based on history, but you’ll think this perfectly created Cold War story was ripped from headlines. Machine Gun Preacher is a true story, and an important one about the terrible world of Sudan, so often forgotten. Where are the world’s governments in stopping this genocide?

Trollhunter comes from Norway, and while some things are lost in translation, and it starts slow, there’s a lot going for this picture. A strong entry in the “found footage” genre and impressive effects for a small film. In a similar pic, Apollo 18, answers the question, “Why did we stop going to the Moon?” Playing into conspiracy theories, this found-footage film managed strong production values they make it seem like the “lost” sequel to Apollo 13.

Categories: Fiction | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Paymaster, Marine and Another Guy Steal a Starship…

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Darrick Dean

Sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it’s essentially the beginning (more or less) of Ren Garcia‘s latest League of Elder saga, Sands of the Solar Empire.

This is book six of League of Elder series, but first of a new trilogy. Long-time fans will notice that Garcia is launching a new batch of characters in his universe that seems both far, far away and yet nearby (and all over the place in time). It’s a galaxy where ships battle, people live in castle-like estates, and magic of sorts is not uncommon. Throw in a bit of horror in from demons and other creatures, while you’re at it.

At the onset of Sands of the Solar Empire, Paymaster Stenstrom achieves his dream of becoming the captain of a warbird. His mission, not to glamorous to begin with, is doomed to fail from the powers that be. Nor does he have a crew and his ship is a wreck. But there is much more to Stenstrom than meets the eye.

That’s were the story jumps back a bit and starts from the real beginning: How Stenstrom got here to begin with and his past adventures and encounters with sinister beings. Unusual for a book to be mostly a flashback of sorts, but well-executed. Once it comes full circle to the start, and Stenstrom and his rag-tag crew he has assembled (of three, counting himself), they find themselves part of something far more dangerous than they ever imagined.

There at the end, you realize you just read a really long (and very good) prologue of what is most likely going to be another totally original, and completely immersive, series from Garcia.

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Nightmare of Editing

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Darrick Dean

For you writers out there, editing can be the worst part of the process. When is your work really done? Good enough to begin showing to friends, agents or publishers? These are tough questions, with few easy answers. I’ll try two.

One, I read somewhere that you should take your best sentence or paragraph and use that as your standard. You know, that part that just pops. Every word is perfect. The flow. The content. Nothing is out of place. Compare everything else to those words and reshape until the standard is matched. This can be tough to do. During the writing, a lot gets thrown onto the paper. Now you have to really craft it like you are carving or sculpting. It is the editing process where people usually realize that writing is a skill. Good writing that is. The editing may take awhile, but you will know when each part is just right.

Two, delete. Yes, sometimes there is no saving a sentence or even a whole paragraph. Maybe a whole page. Remember that section you wrote that sounded so cool? You were trying to say something profound. There was some bit of great knowledge you had and needed to impart it on the reader. Chances are, it never sounded good. It never fit. Now, no reshaping is working. Erase it. Trust me, when you do it, you’ll feel better. Your story will be stronger and you’ll wonder why you wrote those horrible words to begin with.

Categories: Writing | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

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