Terri Apple’s non-fiction guide to the art of voice over is one of the most surprising books I’ve read all year. Even as someone who can respect the art of the voice over and the respect voice actors lack in their profession, it was pretty shocking to see the struggle it takes to read through one disclaimer. Author Terri Apple makes the wise decision of including exercises with the end of every chapter allowing the reader an almost classroom-like vibe with their read, and with the hefty “Voiceovers” you’ll find yourself mastering the art of voice overs in no time.
Category Archives: Literature
Reviews of the latest Books both Fiction and Non-Fiction.
Dark Stars Rising: Conversations from the Outer Realms (Paperback)
I was most elated when I was able to get my hands on author Shade Rupe’s lengthy compendium of peeks in to the sub-cultural icons we know as cult figures today. Though all of the individuals in Rupe’s book are prolific and iconic, they don’t nearly garner as much attention as they deserve to. While many would be quick to pass this off as a book filled with interviews, the truth is “Dark Stars Rising” is a compilation of mini-biographies for stars, or people we consider stars, that deserve a spotlight. While author Rupe could have easily passed off lazy articles for a non-fiction book, all of the chapters profiling Rupe’s subjects are comprehensive to a startling degree, painfully honest and blunt, and stand as mini-biographical in-depth explorations in to the many cult stars Rupe is lucky and determined enough to interview and admire with professionalism.
Never about appealing to the mainstream, but more spotlighting the stars behind the shadows, author Rupe takes it upon himself to interview some of the most controversial figures in pop culture, some of the most derided filmmakers in film, and many of the most underground and cult individuals who have yet to see their relevance dwindle.
Pretty Things: The Last Generation of American Burlesque Queens [Hardcover]
In celebration of the theatrical release of “Burlesque,” Harper Collins publishing releases a hardcore massive compendium of tributes and explorations in to the final generation of burlesque and the art of the seduction where revealing barely anything often is much more arousing than revealing it all. In the process though, it deems it loud and clear that a PG-13 film about Burlesque makes about as much sense as a PG movie about pornography. It’s absurd since while the book is an amazing look in to the final hurrah of Burlesque it’s also a pretty revealing look in to what made Burlesque so attractive from female performers who were skilled contortionists, to others who had some rather rotund and gigantic breasts who excelled at teasing men with what they didn’t see under their sweaters and tassels.
The New Dead: A Zombie Anthology [Paperback]
Christopher Golden assembles a myriad of assorted tales about the walking dead, all of which combine to form one of the strongest combinations of excellent authors and variations on zombies and the undead. While the entire book isn’t a complete success in adapting visions of the walking dead with engrossing characters, “The New Dead” will make a great time filler with some truly strong stories and mini-epics in one compendium. I had a great time sifting through each story and I think most fans of the walking dead will, too. These are only a few of the ones we thought warranted mentioning.
For the first story John Connelly offers up his twist on the Lazarus pit with “Lazarus” the story of a man who dies and is kept in a cave only to be brought back to life a few days later thanks to the will of his loved ones. When he discovers he’s completely lost his place in a world he’s left, he longs for death in the face of loved ones he barely recognizes anymore. Connolly’s writing is vivid and awfully sad and makes for an interesting look at the undead in more tragic form.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War [Hardcover]
I’m one of the few horror buffs across the board who have yet to read the 2003 cult book “The Zombie Survival Guide.” So back in 2006 when author Max Brooks released his highly publicized and promoted sequel entitled “World War Z,” I jumped at the chance and actually shelled out the dough to read his latest tome rather than borrow it from a friend or from a library as I typically did in the past. As a rule I don’t usually read zombie fiction because most of the time it’s usually just material that attempts to drastically re-invent the zombie sub-genre by reducing them to nothing but monsters, or more so turning them in to gimmicky creatures easily forgotten. Sue me but I grew up on Romero’s zombie films and admittedly I’ve been spoiled by his films.
For about as far back as I could remember I have been absolutely horrified of zombies. From horror comedies to zombie masterpieces, no matter what form they were in, I shuddered at the mere thought of them. My imagination did more than fill in the holes with the zombie movies I’ve heard of before I actually copped to watching them. I spent many a late nights thinking about zombies creeping up from beside my bed or pulling me down in to my mattress, and I avoided them for a long time. They petrify me. So as my resistance to them grew stronger, I managed to embrace the fear, and after a while I began to seek out all forms of zombie media, even indulging in some zombie fiction of my own.
R.L. Stine: Introduction to Horror Geekdom
Often these days whenever I’m talking with other horror geeks, I hear the common response that they never read RL Stine when they were children. They were instead reading Stephen King. Well, for some of us who went to middle school, the folks that ran it often felt King was beyond the comprehension of most of its students. That never stopped me of course from reading “It” and grabbing amazing books like “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.” That book, while touted to children, was grotesque, disgusting, gory, and featured some truly scary stories that I continue to remember fondly. I’m mad at myself for not keeping my original copy which was pretty worn out by the time I was in middle school.
Suck It, Wonder Woman! The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek [Paperback]
“Author” Olivia Munn’s little bon mot embedded within her new book entitled “Suck It, Wonder Woman!” is not just an attempt to gauge the attention of her fan boy following, but it’s also an inadvertent smug gesture of declaring that she’s pretty much breaking out of her geeky confines and seeking greener pastures. This is a woman whose entire fame is based around eating hot dogs dangling from strings, playing a dumb wonder woman, and engaging in a lesbian kiss. And she’s suddenly dignified and looking beyond being a geek goddess. For those of you still unaware, Olivia Munn is the one time co-host for the cable network G4’s flagship daily show “Attack of the Show,” a one hour live show that tackles everything in the internet and geek world from electronics to comic books and movies.
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