When I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four two years ago, I gave it just two stars. This time, it hit much harder — and I ended up at a solid four. I think I was more focused this time around, more engaged with Orwell’s world and its place in modern literature. Maybe I just wasn’t ready for it before, but rereading it after Brave New World gave me a new appreciation for its lasting impact.
Even though I first read Brave New World in college — more than twenty years ago — I didn’t remember much going into it this time. I’m sure I liked it back then, but reading it now felt more impactful, perhaps because of the world we live in today. What struck me most was that, while Huxley’s vision remains fascinating, I don’t actually see our world heading in quite the same direction.
Few books feel like an experience the way House of Leaves does. From the moment I opened it, I knew I wasn’t reading a typical novel. Mark Z. Danielewski’s cult classic is part found footage horror story, part academic study, and part psychological spiral. It’s a novel told through multiple layers of narration — Zampanò, an aging blind scholar dissecting a mysterious film called The Navidson Record; Johnny Truant, a tattoo-shop worker who discovers Zampanò’s manuscript after his death; and a set of unnamed editors who compile it all. Each voice blurs fact and fiction, sanity and obsession, until the book itself becomes a kind of labyrinth.
Ring of Fire is one of my new favorite Star Trek novels. Set within an arguably uneven season of Strange New Worlds, this is the story the show’s fans deserve. David Mack delivers a gripping, character-driven, and emotionally charged adventure that perfectly captures the heart of this crew and the spirt of Star Trek.
Going into ’Salem’s Lot, I didn’t know what to expect — so imagine my surprise when I realized it was a vampire story. This could have easily gone the route of camp or cliché, but it doesn’t. Instead, King treats his vampires seriously, crafting a chilling and believable story that feels both classic and fresh.
This was a fun little collection of strange tales — some dark, some whimsical, some with a bite of revenge. While not all of them are particularly macabre, a few do venture into the eerie. One story even had a bit of a timey-wimey twist I wasn’t expecting, which made it stand out. Overall, Wailing Ghosts was a quick and enjoyable read, filled with the kind of curious folklore energy that makes these Little Black Classics so satisfying. 4 stars.
As with most collections, this one was a bit hit or miss for me — but the hits were worth it. The cover suggests pure horror, but many of the stories lean more toward psychological thriller or dark fiction. A few offer eerie atmospheres and clever endings without being outright terrifying.
I gave Dubliners 4 stars, but that rating is more about the book’s place in literary history than my personal enjoyment. This collection of short stories by James Joyce is often seen as groundbreaking, and it’s easy to see why. I believe Joyce was one of the first to truly popularize the modern short story collection — one not driven by a single plot, but by theme, tone, and place.
Star Trek: S.C.E. #10: Here There Be Monsters by Keith R.A. DeCandido is billed as the epilogue to the Gateways saga, and while it works fine in that context, it shines even more as a standalone S.C.E. story. The crew of the da Vinci is dispatched to a planet overrun by bizarre, monstrous creatures that have crossed over from another universe through one of the Gateways. As the team scrambles to contain the chaos, the story balances action, teamwork, and a bit of the series’ trademark weirdness.
As the conclusion to the Gateways saga, What Lay Beyond should have brought everything together with a satisfying, cohesive finale. Instead, it felt like six disconnected short stories — some more engaging than others — cobbled together without a solid narrative through-line. The overarching problem with the Gateways series is even more apparent here: a strong concept poorly executed.
