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.

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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.

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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

After Life Everywhere

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Darrick Dean

There have been a scores of books recently on near death experiences (NDEs) and visits to heaven (and an occasional drop into hell). I briefly considered reviewing a wide swath of these, but there’s way too many. But I was also given pause by the thought, “Has anyone looked closely at these? Or is emotion at work here, much like Y2k and 2012?”

No, I’m not skeptical of NDEs in principal as a possibility. Many of these people’s experiences may be true in every detail. Others may have really seen something, though not really know what it was. There may even be a hoax or two out there, but I haven’t heard of many. In any case, I was pleased to find that Hank Hanegraaff wrote Afterlife, in which he does what few others dare to do:

Take the time to really read the NDE stories and see if their claims stand up to simple reason.

For people who don’t like their beliefs to be disrupted, Hanegraaff probably doesn’t make a lot of friends. All that he is doing, however, is some simple critical thinking. Like asking, “Why do so many of these accounts seem colored by the person’s personal beliefs? Why is everyone’s vision of heaven different?” (paraphrasing Hank here). Indeed, those are good questions.

Since many of these accounts come from Christians, Hanegraaff compares the accounts to biblical theology to find the hits and misses. One interesting NDE has a man describing heaven nearly identical to the Apostle John’s version in The Book of Revelation. Was John’s metaphorical attempt to describe the indescribable so perfect that others couldn’t at least try to use different terms? I think experiencing heaven would encourage one to be a little more creative.

I glad someone is out there doing the dirty work. Also a bit sad that using basic reading skills is now “dirty work.” For those who think this is an exercise in futility because they think there isn’t an afterlife, there is a massive body of work from both scientific and theological perspectives that strongly argue otherwise (such as Brain Wars or Immortality, to name a few). But that debate is not the point here.

It’s okay to let emotion draw you into a book, nonfiction or fiction. That doesn’t mean you have to turn the left side of your brain off. Especially in nonfiction.

Categories: Bible, Books, Critical Thinking | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Removing the Wool From Our Eyes

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Darrick Dean

Bradbury. Huxley. Orwell. They all wrote, each in their own way, about the corruption of those given power. It is the belief of those few that they know what is best for the many. Their desire to shape and control your life. Their increasing ability to pull the wool over your eyes.

And that is where Hugh Howey’s Wool steps in and joins the classics of these other writers.

A dead Earth in the future where everyone lives underground. The residents of Silo 18 are all that are left. Their underground city must all work together to survive. No one can leave the Silo. Death comes quick in the old world. But there are rumors of the past. What came before? What happened on the surface? Is it the destiny of man to live under the Earth forever? And why must people be sent out to preform the Cleanings, never to return?

Some of the residents dare brave ask those questions and risk their lives. The answers are disturbing, but will they also change the future? Or will they condemn it?

Howey’s book is a cautionary tale that will become a classic of Sci-Fi’s subgenre of post-apocalyptic fiction. In an era of ever-growing power in the hands of the few, it is a tale that needs to be told.

It is also a story of how the human spirit can never be suppressed forever.

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